Road to Nowhere
by Caraluna
Summary: LIASON. Jason meets a young Elizabeth as she heads down a road to nowhere.
1. Puerto Rico

A/N: I couldn't stop myself from writing this one. I had this idea ever since I started All over again and I had to write it. This story will be part AU, but most of Port Charles history will remain the same as in the show. Jason's live will be mostly the same up until he meets Elizabeth. Elizabeth's life will be completely AU. Anything else you'd need to know will be explained in the story. Hope you like it and please read and review.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just use them because they are my inspiration. ( And is not like the writers of the show are giving them a good use anyway)  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Road to Nowhere  
  
Chapter 1: Puerto Rico  
  
1996 . . .  
  
Elizabeth Webber never cried in front of anyone. She always thought that was a sign of weakness. And the bad girl, Lizzie Webber couldn't be perceived as weak. Even though she wasn't really a bad girl, but a lonely soul searching for somebody to look past her hard shell and see who she really was. Today it was different. She was on her way to be incarcerated. Not in jail, but in a golden cage with a view. So she cried. It wasn't like her family was there to see it anyway. They couldn't even bother to travel along with her, not even to say goodbye. Her tears were running freely as she looked out the window of the black BMW. All of the sudden the car stopped. The voice of the driver brought her back to reality.  
  
" We are here Miss. Webber."  
  
" Should I be happy about that?" She asked in an even tone. " That's wonderful." She exclaimed with a big smile. No one could ever imagine it was a fake one.  
  
A maid was waiting at the door for her. The driver walked pass them with her luggage and went upstairs. While the maid went on and on about the facilities. Elizabeth wasn't really paying attention to the older women. She was deep in thought about what had happened to her in the last 24 hours. She had managed to get expelled from school, brake up with her boyfriend and get kicked out of her own house. Now here she was in a place she had only been once in her whole life, where she didn't know anybody and where they spoke a language she didn't know. Maybe that was why they sent her here. So she couldn't talk to anyone and stay out of trouble. Yeah, right! Lizzie Webber stay out of trouble, that would be a first one.  
  
" ... And the rooms are upstairs. Your's is the last door to the left. You are going to love it here. It's warm all year round, the beaches are beautiful and the people is really nice. Miss. Webber, are feeling ok?"  
  
" Yeah. Am... good. Upstairs the last door to the left. I'm gonna go there now." She started her way up the stairs but stopped when she heard the other woman's voice again.  
  
" Miss. Webber, if you need anything call me. My name is Grace."  
  
" Thank you Grace. I do need one thing."  
  
" What's that?"  
  
" Please call me Elizabeth."  
  
" Ok. Elizabeth it is."  
  
She continued her way upstairs but was cut short by the call of the older woman." Elizabeth."  
  
" Yes."  
  
" Welcome to Puerto Rico."  
  
Elizabeth just smiled and kept walking. Grace stood there for a while trying to figure out what kind of parents send their 15 year old daughter to a far away country all by herself. No wonder she looks so sad!  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason Morgan rode the elevator towards the penthouse wondering what was this meeting about. Sonny Corinthos had called early in the morning asking him to come to Harborview Towers because he had something to say, but didn't say what about. Jason had complete confidence in Sonny. In little over a year he had thought him about loyalty, honor and respect. And that was more that he could say about his own family. All of them where still waiting for a miracle. But not Sonny. He knew better, he knew that after the accident Jason Quartermain had died and that he was never coming back. That was why he had given Jason a job, so he could prove to everyone that he was a new person. He came out of his reverie when the doors opened in the top floor of the building. Later during the meeting. . .  
  
" I need you to go check the Casino in Puerto Rico."  
  
" Are you sure about that? I have never been on business alone." Jason stated as the older man finished his drink.  
  
" You learn fast. Besides, this is legit. Benny told me you were good with numbers. He said you found the missing shipment for the warehouse without much problems."  
  
" Working on the invoices is not the same as doing the books for the Casino." " Are you saying you don't want to go?"  
  
" No. Is not that. I'll do it."  
  
" Good. You're leaving tomorrow." Sonny noticed the look on the younger man's face. " Is tomorrow not good for you?"  
  
" Tomorrow is Robin's birthday."  
  
" I completely forgot about that. You know what? Why don't you take her? You know as a birthday gift. You guys can stay for the weekend."  
  
" Are you sure?"  
  
" Yes. I'll arrange for you to stay at the Presidential Suit in the hotel."  
  
" Thank you."  
  
Robin Scorpio was the only other person who really understood him. After the accident she could see he was lost and that he needed a friend. They became friends while she thought him about friendship, family and love. The doctors had told him that he could never feel again as other people could because of the accident, but Robin helped him prove them wrong. Jason feel in love with her.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
The next day, Elizabeth walked down the stairs dressed in a catholic school uniform. Her hair was held up in a french braid and she was wearing her deep red color lipstick. The driver took her to school and dropped her of in the entrance. She had instructions to go in and look for Sister Mary Magdalen. Elizabeth walked in as hundred of young girls stared at her. She walked with her head held up high and didn't bother looking at anyone. Once in th office . . .  
  
" I take you are Elizabeth Imogen Webber."  
  
" That's me. But lose the Imogen, I hate it."  
  
" When you ask me in a more polite manner, I'll consider it. Meanwhile... Elizabeth Imogen Webber it is. Now, where was I? Ah yes. I'll be your home room teacher. This is the school guidelines and rules of conduct, this is the dress code and this is the punishment and sanctions." The nun gave Elizabeth three large pamphlets.  
  
" What am I suppose to do with this?" " Read them and sign the back sheet. I'll be giving you a quiz about them tomorrow."  
  
" You expect me to read three hundred pages for tomorrow and have a quiz on rules of conduct, dress code and punishments?"  
  
" Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
" Yeah. I don't have time for this."  
  
" Well you'll make time. From today on education would become your first concern."  
  
" As if I." Elizabeth muttered. " What did you say?"  
  
" As you say."  
  
" Now, you can go and clean your face so you can join the rest of the girls in Spanish class."  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" Page 14: Section 3 in the dress code pamphlet. It's prohibited to use any kind of make up, jewelry and perfume that might be catagorize as indecorous and inappropriate for young Christian girls."  
  
" What is that? Who wrote that stupid rule? Indecorous and inappropriate?"  
  
" Miss Webber! That's enough! You go to the ladies room and wash you're face. If you fail to do so you'll be sent to Detention and you're father will be contacted."  
  
" Good luck, trying to contact Dr. Webber."  
  
" Young lady, you're way out of line. Now, do as I ask you."  
  
Elizabeth stood up and walked out of the office straight to the gate. She didn't want to be there, and no one was going to make her stay.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Sonny's jet landed without delays. Jason and Robin were taken to the hotel by a black limousine. They were stunned to find a luxurious suite waiting for them. It was filled with flowers and white candles. Robin was really exited and happy, and that made Jason really happy too. Neither one of them had been to the islands before. Jason planed a romantic weekend just for the woman he loved. Everything had to be perfect. But there was just a little problem, he was send here to work.  
  
As soon as they started to get comfortable and started to kiss passionately, Jason's cell phone rang loudly.  
  
" I have to go."  
  
" But Jason, we just got here. Stay with me just for a little while."  
  
" Robin, you know that I wouldn't rather be any other place. But I have work to do."  
  
" I know. But..."  
  
" Look, I promise I'll be back here as soon as I can." He kissed her again.  
  
" Ok, ok. Now go, before I change my mind."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
The day passed slowly. Elizabeth had walked out of the school in the morning and hadn't gone back to the house. She had been walking around without any destination in mind. She needed to clear her head, to find something to hang on to. She felt as if she was slipping away. She got to the beach and just walked along shore for hours trying to figure out what was the point of living when nobody really cared.  
  
After the proper introductions and the tour of the place, Jason submerge himself in the books of the Casino. He added, subtracted, divided and multiplied. The day went by so fast he didn't even noticed that the light coming from the window started to dim slowly. When he realized how late it was, he sent a note to Robin. He had planned a candlelight dinner out in a cliff over looking the ocean. He had to show her how much she meant to him.  
  
Elizabeth cried, walked, screamed and ran trying to get away from her own skin. Why did she had to be? Why didn't anybody loved her? What was wrong with her? Was it an unseeing mark that everybody could see but her? Was she condemned to be alone forever? She didn't ask to be born. She didn't ask for a family that was too perfect to have a daughter like her. She didn't want her family's money, she didn't want her family's approval or social status, all she really ever wanted was to be loved. And life seemed to be denying her, her only wish.  
  
Jason finished late at night. Robin had to be waiting for him already. He didn't have enough time to go back to the room to change, so he decided to go as he was. Dressed in jeans, shirt and leather jacket, his trade mark attire, he made his way to the motorcycle Sonny had rented for him. He reeved his way down the street and out of the parking lot prying that Robin wasn't mad.  
  
She was made her way straight to and old lighthouse. Her mind was made up. She was going to end all her suffering once and for all. The lighthouse was on top of a cliff. She stood in the edge and stared ahead. The sky was filled with stars and the moon was bright. She could hear the waves crashing in the stone wall of the cliff, deafening her thoughts. If she had to go, this was the perfect way to do it. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. . .  
  
* * * So what do you think? Should I continue? Please review and tell what you'll think * * * 


	2. Lifeline

Chapter 2: Lifeline  
  
Robin looked at her watch for the hundredth time in the last two hours. Jason had arranged for them to have dinner in a beautiful lighthouse overlooking the ocean, but he hadn't bother to show up. It was her birthday and he hadn't spent an hour with her. When he immerse himself on his work everything had to take a back seat, even her. He told her that this trip wasn't about business. Well, at least not the illegal kind. She still couldn't believe Sonny had taken Jason in to the organization. She loved Jason and she loved Sonny, but the combination of Jason working for Sonny was something she was still debating on. She wasn't blind or naive, she knew what Jason did for Sonny but the fact that Jason liked his job was something she couldn't bring herself to admit. She glanced around and found the place filled with candles that had almost burnt out, rose petals spread on the floor and the mantle, the nice table for two where the food was already cold and the wine warm; and all of the sudden realized what her future was going to be like. Waiting for Jason to come home every night worrying about his safety, wondering if something happened to him and never getting a straight answer from him just the usual: " It was business." Was she ready for that? The answer frightened her. Because the truth was that even loving Jason the way she did, she wasn't ready for the consequence of being a mob moll. She stood up and decided to go back to the hotel. The guard was standing a couple of feet away from her and the driver was in the limo at the base of the cliff. She stood up and walked a couple of steps but couldn't help but look back at the setting... it was beautiful, but not enough.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
She had made her way straight to an old lighthouse. Her mind was made up. She was going to end all her suffering once and for all. The lighthouse was on top of a cliff. She stood in the edge and stared ahead. The sky was filled with stars and the moon was bright. She could hear the waves crashing in the stone wall of the cliff, deafening her thoughts. If she had to go, this was the perfect way to do it. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, but she couldn't do it. She fell to her knees a couple of feet away from the edge and started to sob uncontrollably. She couldn't even kill herself right! She was the most pitiful human being in the world.  
  
Robin decided to walk for a couple of minutes, to see if Jason decided to show up at all. She looked up at the stars and the moon and the restless waves crashing down on the cliff. All of the sudden, she heard someone crying. She walked towards the sound and found a girl kneeled very close to the edge. Too close.  
  
" Hey! Be careful!" She didn't know if the woman could understand what she was saying, but she had to get her away from the edge. " I don't.." How do you say it? " Yo no hablo español. Please get away from the edge. "  
  
Elizabeth heard the woman calling out to her in English and a very thick accented Spanish. But she didn't want to answer back. Maybe if she ignored her she would go away and left her alone.  
  
Robin moved closer to where the girl was and kept talking to her. " Look, you're too close to the edge. Why don't you move a little?" This wasn't working, the girl hadn't even looked her way. Was it because she couldn't understand or because she didn't want to? " Do- you- un-der-stand- a- word- of- what- am- say-ing." She emphasize every syllable just in case and talked in a slightly higher tone than usual.  
  
" Go away!" Elizabeth didn't even looked at her, she just wanted the intruder to leave her alone.  
  
" You speak English! Good. That's really good, 'cause I can't speak Spanish to save my life. My boyfriend in the other hand, I think he speaks every language in the world. He has this way of learning in a small amount of time. He reads dictionaries and travel books and seem to understand even italian." Robin was nervous. She could tell by the way she kept going on about nothing at all.  
  
" I-I really-ly don't ca-re a-bout you or your boy-friend." She was still crying hard.  
  
" Sorry. I just, could you come back here? You're making me nervous."  
  
" L- Look. I-I just want to be-be a- alone."  
  
" Why? What, did something happened to you? Do you want me to help you?"  
  
" If I wanted help I would've ask for it."  
  
" Sorry. It's just that you look . . ."  
  
" I look... like a lonely, pathetic, loser fifteen year old girl who doesn't have a clue."  
  
" Look come here. Let's talk. I mean, we could be friends. I don't know anyone here and my boyfriend failed to show up for my birthday."  
  
"Oh, poor girl! Am so sorry for you." Every word out of Elizabeth's mouth dripped with sarcasm. " I mean, is not like your family shipped you away to the middle of nowhere and enrolled you in a Catholic school were you don't want to be. Or the simple fact that you have no friends and no boyfriend and nobody who cared if you live or die."  
  
" Don't say that. There's always a reason to live. You're healthy, that alone should be a reason to be grateful." Robin comes closer to Elizabeth and they find each other face to face.  
  
" Why? Being healthy hasn't improve my life. I might as well be sick and have a real reason to end it all."  
  
" You don't mean that."  
  
" Yes, I do."  
  
" Listen, you're only fifteen and maybe life seems unfair right now. Maybe you think nobody loves you or care one way or another, but that's not true. There's always someone out there thinking of you. Maybe you're parents sent you here to help you. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Maybe life has something bigger waiting for you."  
  
" What are you? Some kind of motivational speaker."  
  
" Sort of. I don't usually go flaunting my personal life to a total stranger, but you don't seem like anyone. I feel a connection to you."  
  
" What are you babbling about?"  
  
" You came here to end you're life, didn't you?"  
  
Elizabeth blushed, ashamed of what she wanted to do. " I- I. . ."  
  
" Don't be ashamed. That thought crossed my mind a couple of times too. The important thing is that you were strong enough to not go though with it."  
  
" Why would you want to end you're life? You seem so... perfect."  
  
" Well am not. I- I had a boyfriend years ago. My first boyfriend, highschool sweetheart, the one I thought was going to be with me forever." Elizabeth listened carefully at what Robin was saying. There was something about her that Elizabeth couldn't quite figure out, but she was right. There was a connection between them. " But he wasn't."  
  
" You tried to kill yourself because your first boyfriend left you?"  
  
" He didn't left me, well at least not in the way you think. He died."  
  
Elizabeth gasped out loud. " Am so sorry. I didn't know... I-I don't know what to say."  
  
" It's ok there's no way you could've known. That was a big deal for me. Losing the one person who knew what I was really like, the one person who loved me unconditionally and who gave me his soul just because I was me." Robin's voice broke and her eyes watered. She was obviously shaken up, but she kept going. "He gave me his heart and his love. But he also gave me something else..."  
  
" What?"  
  
" HIV."  
  
After a few minutes of stunned silence Elizabeth spoke. " You mean you have Aids."  
  
" Not yet. Am a non-progressor. That means am HIV positive, because I carry the virus but it's not awake, yet."  
  
" I don't know what to say. I've been really stupid. I mean, here I am drowning myself in self-pity when you're ... "  
  
" It's ok. I told you this because I wanted you to see, that God never gives you challenges that you can't handle. You have to be grateful you're alive and healthy. You have you're whole life ahead of you. Take advantage of it and do everything you want to do. Alone or with your loved ones, you don't know when it'll be too late."  
  
" Thanks for telling me all this. I guess I needed a wake up call."  
  
" You're welcome. Anything I can do to help." They hugged and stood up. Looking out to the water they didn't heard Jason's bike roar up the cliff. Robin had let her tears flow freely as she remembered Stone and the way he showed her how precious life was. Elizabeth just stood there in stunned silence remembering Robin's words. Neither of them moved from their place.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason knew that Robin must be mad that he was late for their date. But he would make it up to her. He got to the beach and found the guard and the driver, both in the bottom of the cliff. He asked them where Robin was, and the guard told him that she was still at the cliff top talking with a young girl. Jason was confused but decided to go look for her. He took his bike up the road. Soon he could see Robin's delicate feature standing with her back to him overlooking the ocean. God she was beautiful. He noticed another figure standing five feet away from Robin. An even more petite girl was standing there. She was wearing a school uniform and her hair was tousled by the wind. Even though it was picked up in a braid, strands of curls were coming loose from everywhere. They were both deep in thought. Neither of them moved a muscle as the bike approached them. He parked the bike and turned it off, but didn't move from his place in the seat. He kept contemplating both women with curiosity. They looked alike, at least from the back. Both petite, brown hair, delicate but deeper than that they both seem stubborn and courageous. He could tell by the way they were standing, firm and poised. He hated to disturbed their thoughts, but he couldn't stay here watching them forever even if he wanted to.  
  
Robin came out of her reverie when she heard Jason calling her name. She turned and found him face to face. Her tears had left dark lines along her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy. Was she crying because he was late? That couldn't be it, she was always collected and equanimous. What happened to her? She saw the fear and confusion cross his gaze. She knew what he was thinking... he thought she was crying because of him.  
  
" Are you ok?"  
  
" Now that you're here."  
  
" What's wrong?"  
  
" Nothing. Everything is ok." She looked towards Elizabeth and realized she was still there. " Could you give me a moment?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
Robin walked up to Elizabeth and touched her shoulder. The younger girl looked at her.  
  
" My boyfriend is here. Am going to ask him to take you home."  
  
" I don't have a home. I have a prison. But don't worry I can get a cab or walk back, it's ok."  
  
" There's no way I'll let you wonder alone at night."  
  
" You really care about people don't you?"  
  
" It's my biggest fault or virtue, take your pick." She smiled at the young girl and the other reciprocated her smile. " You're smiling. That's a very good start."  
  
" And this is the next step." She put out her hand. " My name is Elizabeth Webber."  
  
" Robin Scorpio. Nice to meet you." They shook hands and hugged. " Come I'll introduce my boyfriend."  
  
Jason watched the strange exchanged between both girls and his curiosity grew even more. Both made their way back towards him and stopped a few feet away. The moon was full it wasn't bright enough so he still couldn't make out the girls features. Elizabeth eyed the figure of the man standing in front of the motorcycle with curiosity. He was dressed in black from head to toe, his leather jacket a very masculine touch. She couldn't really see his face, but was sure that he was good looking because of the strong lines of his jaw and his nose.  
  
" Elizabeth, this is Jason Morgan. My boyfriend."  
  
" Jason, this is Elizabeth Webber. My new friend."  
  
He simply nodded his head towards her. " Nice to meet you."  
  
" Nice to meet you too."  
  
" Could you give her a ride home?"  
  
" Ok. But what about you?"  
  
" I'll go to the hotel with Paul and Dave."  
  
" But we have to talk."  
  
" We can talk later."  
  
" Robin we have to ..."  
  
Looking rather uncomfortable Elizabeth interrupted Jason. " Look I don't need a ride. I can go home by myself."  
  
" No. It's dangerous to be alone at this hour. I'll take you. Could you give us a minute alone please?"  
  
" Yes, sir." Elizabeth gave him a mock salute and looked at Robin. " It was nice to meet you. Thank you for everything, you helped me more than you think. Bye."  
  
" You helped me too. Listen am staying at the S & S Hotel and Casino. Why don't you call me tomorrow and we can go shopping or something."  
  
" I don't want to interrupt your vacations."  
  
" It's ok. I'll be alone must of the day anyway. Please call me."  
  
" Ok. I'll call you tomorrow. Good night."  
  
" Night."  
  
Elizabeth walked towards the bike and left them alone. No doubt they were gonna fight about her. The boyfriend didn't look to thrill about having to take her home.  
  
" What was all that about?"  
  
" Look I don't want to do this here. Take her home and we'll talk when you get to the hotel."  
  
" Robin."  
  
" Jason, please."  
  
" As you wish."  
  
Robin walked past him without looking at him and talked so they both could here her. " Be carful out there. And don't be long." After waving goodbye she started her way down the road where Paul was waiting for her. Jason watched as she made her way down and then as the limousine disappeared from view. Elizabeth's voice came to him as a whisper at first. When he came out of his tranced he asked her again.  
  
" What did you say?"  
  
" I said she's just going to the hotel, not out of town. The sooner you take me home the sooner you'll be reunited with your beloved."  
  
Trying to find a good comeback to the smart ass comment, but not finding any he just vowed his head and walked towards the bike. " Let's go."  
  
" I've never been on a bike before."  
  
" Just hold on tight and scream if you don't like something."  
  
Elizabeth was still a couple of feet away from him she walked to where he was standing but found a rock in her way and stumbled. She found herself falling over a hard surface. Thinking she had fallen face first to the ground she opened her eyes, but instead of brown dirt she found light blue. Beautiful blue, the bluest blue she had ever seeing.  
  
Jason saw her stumble and moved to help her. He caught her before she hit the floor. She had her eyes closed, but once she opened them he found bright blue eyes looking deep into his own. The most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. Electricity ran through them both. Neither of them had felt anything like it. He got scared of the intense feeling in his stomach so he decided to speak first. She was still lost in his gaze when he spoke.  
  
" Are you alright?"  
  
" Hum?"  
  
" I asked if you were alright?"  
  
" Oh. Yes, yes I'm ok. I'm... fine." She realized he was still holding her and stepped away from his embrace. They both felt the sudden emptiness as they broke the connection, but neither acknowledge the startling need.  
  
" Ok. So we, we better go." Jason said straddling his motorcycle.  
  
" Ok."  
  
" Here wear this. You have to yell to me which way to go." He gave her a helmet and she put it on.  
  
" Ok."  
  
" Hold on tight."  
  
" Ok."  
  
Elizabeth Webber, speechless that was a first one. Come on Lizzie, get a grip. She got on the bike and didn't know where to hold onto. There were two handles, one in each side. But she wasn't comfortable holding on to them.  
  
" What's wrong?"  
  
" I can't hold on to the bars."  
  
" Put your arms around me."  
  
" What?" She thank God she had the helmet on or he would have seen her blushing.  
  
" You'll have to put your arms around me and hold on."  
  
" Ok. I'll... hold on to you." She did as he asked and felt the sting of shook again. God, give her strength.  
  
He felt her arms grab his middle and almost lost his breath and felt his stomach do a flip. But he dismissed it as hunger. He revved his bike and rode into the dark streets. 


	3. Breakup, lost and found

A/N: Just wanted to let you know that the time line is kindda messed up, but I needed it for the story. Cara Mia, don't worry I know that they can't act on those feelings (jailbait), it will be a looooooooooong time before they become romantically involved. But I just wanted for them to have the strong feelings from the first time they met. The sexual tension will be the main thing for this story, along with the intense connection we all love. Thank you for your reviews ( for this and All over again) Hope all of you enjoy the next chapters. This is not one of my best chapters but hope you enjoy it... Please read and review!  
  
**************************************************************************** *****  
  
Chapter 3: Breakup, lost and found. . .  
  
Early 1998...  
  
Jason Morgan. The man she was in love with. The man she knew she had lost when she told him what she had done. The light in his eyes disappeared in a blink and disappointment and hurt drowned his blue orbs. She never doubted her decision, not until she looked into his eyes. She knew things would never be the same between them, she knew it was over. So here she was standing in the very same place they had met. Their special place. But this time she was going to say goodbye. Goodbye to everything she ever wanted, to everything she ever needed, to the man she loved. Jason Morgan.  
  
Robin... the first person she saw when he woke up. The only person who ever knew how he really felt. She had betrayed him. She had taken the only thing more important than her in his life; his son. That little baby had become his life. He never knew he had paternal instincts, but Michael had come barging into his life needing him and loving him unconditionally. Robin had taught him about love, but Michael had made those four letters mean so much more.  
  
He had experienced pain before, but the anticipation of losing the woman he loved and his son at the same time was a concept he couldn't start to grasp. But then he thought it over. The woman who stood in front of him and told him how she had betrayed him, wasn't the woman he had fallen in love with. As much as it pained him, he had to let her go. He had to say good bye and focus his energy in getting Michael's sole custody. He had to let her go, he had to let her go even when she was taking a piece of his heart with her.  
  
He rode his motorcycle up the cliff towards the bridge. He parked the bike and walked up. Then he saw her, a petite woman looking towards the black, endless night. Just like the first time they met. It was some what ironic that they both had come to here to say good bye.  
  
She didn't looked back as she heard the motor roar die into the silence of the night. He knew it was him, and her heart was crying as much as her eyes, because she knew he had come to say good bye. Life had a funny way of snicking up on you when you least expect it. He walked up to her and stood for a minute, she gather her strength and spoke without looking at him.  
  
" I just came here to say goodbye. So much happened in this place. I just had to see it one last time before I let it go. Do you remember that night? "  
  
She turned to face him and was faced with cold eyes and a stonelike expression.  
  
" I remember everything, Robin. That was my life-- what I learned from Sonny, and loving you. Til Michael."  
  
" I didn't do it to take Michael away from you. You know that. You know me. "  
  
"It's just like after the accident. When I woke up, you were the first person I ever saw. But I didn't know you. And I don't now. I came to say good-bye, too. You taught me that, just like you taught me to love. You gave me everything good I have inside. And now I have it to give to Michael. I will always owe you for that. "  
  
His voice almost broke. He never imagined he was going to standing there saying good bye to her.  
  
"You gave me a lot, too."  
  
"And I never wanted you to go before. But I do now. It'll be much easier when you're in Paris. And it'll be a lot easier if I never see your face again. "  
  
The little bit of hope she had left extinguished at his words. It was really over.  
  
" So this is it. Goodbye, Jason. I hope everything works out for you." She started her way down the cliff wanting to get away from him as fast as possible.  
  
He stood there, his back towards her, while a tear fell down his face. " Goodbye, Robin."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Elizabeth came home from school to find a letter from Robin Scorpio waiting for her in the coffee table. She had been feeling sad all week, but Robin's letters usually helped her keep her demons away at least for a little while. Elizabeth went upstairs and changed into her bathing suit. She ran downstairs and picked the letter and went to sit by the pool in the back of the house. As she opened the letter she remembered the night she met the other girl. Elizabeth was about to do something stupid and Robin had stopped her.  
  
~*~ *~ *~ " You came here to end you're life, didn't you?... My first boyfriend...He died...am HIV positive...You have to be grateful you're alive and healthy. You have you're whole life ahead of you." ~*~ *~ *~  
  
She talked her out of ending her life and made her realize that she wasn't alone. Robin had lost someone very important to her and she had survived the pain. Elizabeth had to learn how to deal with such great loss. For the last two years Elizabeth had decided that if life had given her lemons she had to make lemonade. The only problem was learning how. It was difficult at first, because she only knew how to be bad ass Lizzie Webber. But with time she had become more comfortable with her own skin and in school she had found a couple of girls that were really nice to her. She was still struggling with her nightmares and those really bad days when the pain was too much to bare. But thanks to Robin Scorpio and her love for life, Elizabeth was starting to feel like life was worth living.  
  
Elizabeth started to read and by the third sentence knew something wasn't right. Then she realized why her friend seemed out of it. She had broken up with her boyfriend Jason, again. They had broken up a year ago when Robin found out that he was having a baby with another woman. But they had gotten back together. They had ups and downs in their relationship but were always very much in love. Elizabeth remembered the day before they met. Jason and Robin had a big fight, because Robin thought his job was interfering with their relationship. . .  
  
~*~ *~ *~ Elizabeth was sitting in the chaise longue drinking some lemonade while Robin finished getting ready. She had call early in the morning and Robin had sent her driver to pick her up so they could spend the day together. She had arrived to the luxurious suite and had been waiting for half an hour when she heard the door of the room open with a loud bang and she heard the end of the heated discussion. " This was suppose to be about us... for us. I don't understand why you're doing this. You knew I had work to do." " Yes I did. You are right as always. That's exactly why I asked her here. She needs someone to talk to, and I was tire of looking at this beautiful place and not being able to enjoy it. Now we both will have what we wanted. You'll be able to work without having to worry about me and I might enjoy myself for a change, instead of having to worry about you being ok." Robin walked out of the room as she cleaned a loose tear that ran down her face. As she got closer to where Elizabeth was waiting she draw a smile on her face. Jason called to her but Robin completely ignored him. ~*~ *~ *~  
  
As soon as they got back to New York things went back to normal. But now it seems Jason was getting comfortable with the mother of his child again. And his job was becoming his number one priority. Robin was coming and going because of school and they hardly had time alone, just for them. That was when Robin felt the need to tell the truth she had been hiding for a long time. Jason wasn't Michael's real father. Some guy name AJ Quatermaine, who turned out to be Jason's brother was the baby's biological father.  
  
Elizabeth finished the letter and stared ahead to the calmed water in the pool. A couple of months before, Jason Morgan had been back to the island with the baby. She had spotted him on the beach with a little boy. The baby was the cutest little thing with bright red hair. He seemed at ease with the kid. Not as tensed and serious as he seemed when they first met. Elizabeth remembered watching him from afar, hiding almost so the man wouldn't see her. Now she felt stupid thinking about it, there was no reason for him to remember her at all.  
  
She had remembered him... who wouldn't have. He was the most handsome and arrogant man she had ever met. He had treat her cold and distant, but she got chills when she remembered her first bike ride. The wind rushed by her as if carrying her along. She felt as if the wind was going to take her away forever. Thinking about it, those were the only 10 minutes she had managed to forget about her pain. She'd been longing for a ride ever since Jason rode away from the house. But she knew she wasn't going to get a chance to ride on a motorcycle again. Well not until she find the perfect motorcycle boy to take her away forever. Someone caring and kind, who would protect her and listen to her. She needed someone that would give her the world but who would risk everything to just be with her. She wanted someone she could trust. Definitely someone completely opposite to Jason Morgan.  
  
Thinking about it she couldn't really connect the man in leather and jeans that was so rude to her with the dad she had seeing playing in the water with the baby. She never could've guess that Jason wasn't Michael's real father. This whole situation must have been difficult for all of the people involved in the matter. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. But this fallout must've left everyone dumbfounded. Robin was heart broken, Jason might loose his soon forever, who knew what the mother of the kid might go through. And she had lost her only chance of a real friendship, now that Robin had decided to go back to Paris.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Month's later...  
  
Jason had lost everything. The judge had ruled join custody, but after what went down between him and AJ, there was no way he could ever see Michael again. He had lost control and he had thrown, kicked and broken Michael's things. Michael should never see him loose control like that ever again he just would get confused. So he just gave him away. It was the only thing he could do for his son. Because Michael will always be his son even if he couldn't see him grow. He would treasure the time he spend with him.  
  
" Mr. Morgan. Please fasten your seatbelt. We're about to land in San Juan, PR."  
  
The voice of the pilot brought him out of his meditations. He had a lot of work to do. There were problems in the territory. A couple of dealers were found dead in their districts. Jason had to investigate who killed them and why they were trying to frame Sonny's men. He also had to take care of the Casino. Work... that was all he had to do. Work night and day, day and night and maybe he would stop aching inside.  
  
Elizabeth was waiting outside of school for her driver to come pick her up. But she was also waiting to see the hottie. For the last couple of weeks a cute guy had been standing in the curb looking intently at her. She had decided to talk to him today, but he was nowhere to be found. When she walked a few feet away from the gate she found him wearing a leather jacket and leaning on a motorcycle. " Oh boy! This raises the stakes. Hot and a biker, I think I found exactly what I was looking for."  
  
Lizzie Webber had been itching to come out ever since the last weekend when her mother had called her to remind her of the commemoration. As if she could ever forget. This was it she had to go out meet new people. Meet boys and have a good time. Elizabeth made her way towards the young man with a sexy grin on her face.  
  
The limousine pulled up on the driveway of a beautiful two-stories mansion. Sonny had insisted on buying the house so they would have a place to stay outside of the hotel suites. Jason was ok staying on a rented studio or something, but Sonny wouldn't take no for an answer. So here he was, standing in front of his new house. He took his key to open the door, but someone beat him to it. The double oak doors opened to reveal an older woman. She looked to be on her sixties, subtle white adorning her otherwise black hair. She had a dress on and an apron over it. With a big smile she addressed Jason.  
  
" Hola, señor."  
  
" Hola. Usted habla inglés?" ( Hello, do you speak english?)  
  
" Si. I speak english." She answered in a thick spanish accent.  
  
" Good. Because I speak spanish but is not that good."  
  
" You'll learn. My name is Teresa. I am the maid."  
  
" Don't refer to yourself as the maid, and don't call me señor. My name is Jason. Jason morgan."  
  
" It's nice to meet you Mr. Jason Morgan. Now come in." She moved and lead him inside.  
  
They walked into some kind of foyer. He let his bag in the floor as he looked around. A big arch divided the foyer and the rest of the house. Teresa walked a little more into the room and Jason followed. There he found a grand staircase that came down in both sides of the room. Straight ahead he could see the landscape. Glass sliding doors and wall adorned a small sitting area. Outside a balcony and the beach almost as a garden. Down three steps was to the left was the diningroom.  
  
" The kitchen is to the left down those steps and the garage is that way." She said signaling to their right where a door was almost hidden. " I'll take you to your room, now."  
  
She went to pick up his bag but he stopped her.  
  
" I'll take it don't worry. It's too heavy."  
  
" Are the rest of your things coming later?"  
  
" No this is all I brought. I travel light."  
  
" But you're staying a while aren't you?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
The woman couldn't read his expression, but immediately knew that he was a man of little words. As she made her way up the stairs, with Jason hot on her heals. She asked him what he wanted to eat for dinner.  
  
" Nothing. I have to go to the Casino to day. I'll eat something there."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Latter that night...  
  
Elizabeth walked down the stairs dressed to kill. Grace watched as the young girl made her way down and frowned at the thought. She was going out with a man. A Portorrican man. She didn't know what made her more nervous. The guy seemed older and she knew Elizabeth wasn't ready to start dating. She didn't have anything against Portorricans but this one in particular seemed dangerous.  
  
" What do you think? How do I look?"  
  
Grace took in Elizabeth's appearance and shook her head. She was wearing a tight black dress and black stilettos. Her hair was down and in beautiful ringlets around her face. Her make up was smokey on the eyes and her lips were bright passion red.  
  
" What's wrong?"  
  
" It's just you look older."  
  
" That was what I was going for."  
  
" Why?"  
  
" Just because." She grabbed her purse from the couch. A loud horn came from a car parked outside. "He was here! Why didn't you tell me he was waiting outside?"  
  
" It slipped my mind. Elizabeth, please be careful."  
  
" I will. Don't worry about me." She said as she ran out the door.  
  
There was nothing Jason hated more than wearing a suit. And here he was dressed in a suit and walking straight in to the lion bin. The Casino was full of prominent people, future investors and highrollers of the organization, not the kind of company he appreciated. But this was his job and he had to do it. Besides most of this people were here tonight to meet him and see with their own eyes who was Sonny Corinthos right hand man. He just wished tonight went smoothly and he could get this over with. He breathed deeply and walked inside.  
  
Elizabeth felt out of place. She had accepted his invitation blindly and was now paying the price. He had taken her to the S&S Casino. She was obviously underage so he had brought her a fake ID. She didn't know what to do or say around this people. There were mostly older people here and Tony had left her standing there while he went to talk to someone outside. A waiter passed by her and offered her a glass of wine. She took it, at least to pretend to be part of the in crowd.  
  
Jason was walking around, checking the tables and as they say mingling with the Highrollers. He was tire of seeing the same faces smiling and rending him false compliments. He was on his way to the back office when suddenly he found himself crashing into someone.  
  
Elizabeth turned to look for Tony, she was bored to death and wanted to get out of there. She never saw him coming until it was too late. Her wine ended up all over his suit.  
  
" Oh my God! Am so sorry. I didn't see you coming."  
  
" That much I could tell." Jason was pissed. He was already dreading the place and now this. Wait a minute, wasn't this a good thing. Yes. Now he had a reason for leaving early. He looked up ready to apologize to the woman but instead found blue.  
  
Elizabeth was about to say something, but when she looked up to him was awestruck. It was him. What was he doing there? Would he recognize her? Of course not. She just had to make her way out of there as soon as possible.  
  
It was her. But wait a minute wasn't she a minor. What the hell was she doing there. He looked at her again. This time from head to toe. And dressed like that. She tried to walk passed him but he stopped her, grabbing her elbow.  
  
" Elizabeth? Elizabeth Webber?"  
  
Holly shit! He remembered. 


	4. Blue Eyes

A/N: I have to write an apology, so if you don't want to hear me ramble just skip it and go straight to the story. This is mostly for myself. Last chapter I misspelled a very important word, more than a word my identity. I usually spell check every chapter, but for some reason I didn't do it last time. My first language is Spanish and sometimes I mix up the grammar rules ( which are different). This long explanation comes down to this, I wrote Portorrican instead of Puerto Rican and am so ashamed. I am a "puertorriqueña" (that's Puerto Rican in Spanish). The only thing I can think of is that I might have mixed both words and came up with a new one. I've been mortified ever since... I don't think this is gonna make me feel better, but I had to write an apology.  
  
On with the show. This chapter is rated R, for adult situations. It has some angst... hope you enjoy it and please don't forget to review even if you don't like it so I can improve my story and writing.  
  
**************************************************************************** *******  
  
Chapter 4: Blue eyes  
  
"Elizabeth? Elizabeth Webber?" It was her. The same bright blue eyes looking back at him, the same beautiful blue eyes that he found lost and scared two years ago. But wait a minute wasn't she a minor. What the hell was she doing there? She was just a kid.  
  
Holly shit! He remembered. How could he remember, she was a fifteen years old girl when they met and that was two years ago.  
  
"Lizzie?"  
  
The voice of Tony came to break the intense look going on between them. Jason still held her by the elbow.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? Let her go."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked her without even looking at the guy.  
  
"You got me confused with someone else."  
  
"Am not confused. I remember you. You're Robin's friend."  
  
"Can someone tell me what is going on here?"  
  
"Nothing, Tony." Elizabeth looked at him smiling and then back at Jason with a scowl. "Can you please let go of me?"  
  
Jason dropped his hand and took a step back after realizing he was standing too close to her. "Tony, could you give me a minute? I'll be right with you."  
  
"Ok, Mami. I'll be over here."  
  
As he moved to a table, Elizabeth turned to look at Jason.  
  
"What do you want from me?" She asked irritated.  
  
"I'm Jason. Jason Morgan, Robin's boy... ex-boyfriend."  
  
"I know who you are."  
  
"So, why did you tried to lie?" He crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"I- I... "  
  
"You...what?"  
  
"I don't know. I just... what are you doing here?"  
  
"I asked you first."  
  
"Oh! You're still as irritating as I remember." She spat at him annoyed.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean?"  
  
"Exactly what I said. You're a very irritating man." Elizabeth gave a sideways glance at Tony who was flirting with one of the waitresses. Men! "This is a Casino. What do you think am doing? The same thing as you, I suppose."  
  
"I work here."  
  
"Oh. Well I don't work here. I came on a date. One you're pretty much interrupting with you're twenty questions."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"That's a really rude question. Do you know one's not suppose to ask a woman her age?"  
  
"A woman maybe. But a kid trying to play dress up, it's a whole different story."  
  
"Who are you calling a kid? Are you implying am underage?"  
  
"Aren't you?"  
  
"N-no." Her voice was trembling now.  
  
"Right. What year were you born?" "Eighty-one, I mean seventy-nine... what's that to you?"  
  
"You're underage. You're just a kid."  
  
"Whatever! I was just leaving anyway." Elizabeth tried to walked around him but he stood in her way. He looked towards her companion and back at her.  
  
"That guy is older. He looks like a troublemaker. Be careful."  
  
"What I do or don't do is not your problem."  
  
"Look. I have a sister that's around your age. You're seventeen aren't you?" She didn't answered, just looked down. "I take that as a yes. I now you think nothing is going to happen, but you have to take care. Robin, she also cares about you. She wouldn't want something happening to you. So be careful."  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She spoke then.  
  
"I don't need anyone looking out for me. No one has done it before, no one has to now. I can take care of myself."  
  
"Ok." He said as he moved from his place and she walked towards the guy who was waiting for her.  
  
Jason watched her walk away and noticed as she tilted her head towards him before walking out of the Casino. He couldn't help but have a bad feeling on the pit of his stomach. There was something about that girl, it was a need to protect her that routed in the pit of his stomach. She seemed to be looking for trouble in all the right places. He shook his head and turned around and went back to mingle around. There was nothing else he could do.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Elizabeth was pissed. How dare he tell her what do? They hadn't even talked more than a hundred words since they met and there he was grilling her with questions about her age and her date. Telling her to be careful, as if he actually cared. The only thing she needed was to be free. Free from all of the demons running around her head. Free from her thoughts, from the past. That was why she was on Tony's car. On her way to somewhere quiet. That's what he said they were going.  
  
Tony stopped the car and she came back to reality. She looked out the window and saw the old Lighthouse. Why this place? She hadn't been here, since that night. The night she tried to end her life, but instead left wanting to start a new one. When she looked to her left, she noted that he was already outside, so she got out of the car and walked towards him. They sat down and looked at the stars for a while. He never said a word, she was preoccupied with her own thoughts to acknowledge anything going on. So when he sat closer she didn't even notice.  
  
He waited, and waited and nothing happened. She hadn't said a word, but actually he didn't want to talk either. He had been watching her for a while, she seemed to be a feisty little fire ball. When he saw her come out of her house dressed like that he knew he was going to have her. Tonight. He moved closer, but she didn't even noticed. He was getting impatient now. It had been more than an hour and she was still looking up to the sky. He put his hand on her left thigh and started to run it smoothly up and down. At the contact of his cold hands on her she jolted towards him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Nothing. Just wanted to get your attention." He said without taking his hands away.  
  
"Well you did. Now take your hands off of me." She pushed his hands off her thigh.  
  
"Ok, Mami. Don't have be so aggressive. Just, relax."  
  
"Its getting late. Would you mind taking me home?" She tried to get up, but he grabbed her hand.  
  
"It's early. Let's just wait a bit more. Aren't you having fun?"  
  
She was getting nervous there was something in his eyes she hadn't noticed before. "Its just that I have to go. I have to get up early tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow is Saturday. No school. I just want to get to know you better. We haven't been able to talk much."  
  
"Yeah, well. You left me alone all night."  
  
"Am sorry about that. I had to meet with someone. Work, you know."  
  
"You work at the Casino?"  
  
"No. My boss was there. Meeting with some partners. But enough about that. I just wanted to tell you you're a very beautiful woman. I just fell in love with you at first sight."  
  
Elizabeth was getting nervous. He hadn't let go of her wrist, and was getting closer to her. "Thank you. But you know what, I can't be here right now. Why don't you take me home and we talk more there?"  
  
"No, no home yet. I want to kiss you."  
  
"I- I am very flattered but..." Before she could finished her sentence his mouth was on hers. A sloppy open mouth kiss being splattered all over her face. She had her mouth close and was trying to hold down the gags coming in waves.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason was in the middle of a conversation he hadn't really been paying attention to, when his heart skipped a beat, he brushed it off and tried to pay attention to what was being said. A couple of minutes later he was ready to leave. He told Marcos, the manager, he would see him tomorrow and with that took of.  
  
Jason went straight to his motorcycle. He had the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and just grabbed his helmet and drove away. He needed to get out of there. And he knew exactly where to go.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Soon Tony had her pressed down on the floor and Elizabeth was fighting to get out of his hold. He stopped her. She tried to scream. "Stop it!"  
  
"Come on. Don't try to deny it now. You know you want this just as much as I. If you didn't you wouldn't have wore that dress. Stop trying to pretend. Let's enjoy this."  
  
Elizabeth was in awe. Could this guy be more self-centered? "I asked you to stop that. If you don't let go of me am going to scream."  
  
He let out a cold laugh and Elizabeth felt her skin crawl. "Scream all you want little girl. No one is going to hear you. We're going to do this the easy way or the hard way."  
  
He kept kissing her everywhere. His saliva was smearing her makeup everywhere. Elizabeth started to scream then. "STOP! LET GO OF ME! HELP!"  
  
She was jerking around, but he moved the full weight of his body on top of her. When she tried to scratch his face with her nails, he grabbed both of her hands and put them over her head. Meanwhile his other hand was rummaging all over her body.  
  
In the middle of nowhere, her voice was starting to come out in panic streaks. "NO! PLEASE, HELP!" She kept trying to move and when he kissed her lips again she bite him hard until blood dripped over her own.  
  
"You bitch! I guess we're gonna have to do this my way."  
  
Tony smacked her twice on her face. He broke her bottom lip with his gold rings. And then he became more violent if it was even possible. Snapped the strap of her dress and bit hard on her shoulder. Elizabeth let out a muffled cry. When she tried to scratch him again, he punched her hard on the face. His hand slid down and went under her dress. Violently he tore down her underwear. Elizabeth couldn't talk, she was now crying uncontrollably as realization hit her. She was going to be raped and no one would be able to help her...  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
He wasn't planing on coming here. He knew he wanted to ride along the seashore highway, but as he turned out of the rode and he saw the Lighthouse in the distance he couldn't help himself. There was something about that place that called to him.  
  
He was about to have her, when he heard the motorcycle revved up the cliff. Elizabeth was almost out of it, but she kept fighting. Tony got up and zipped up his pants. Jason saw the car, so he didn't turned off the engine. He didn't want to interrupt anything or anyone. A moment later he saw a man getting up from the floor in a hurry. He didn't saw anybody else so he turned off the bike and got off. It was then that he heard the small cries of pain. Jason walked closer as the man got in the car and immediately drove down.  
  
After the car was gone Jason looked around with a frown. Something was off. It was dark, but then he saw a bundle laying in the ground. He couldn't really distinguish what it was. He walked closer, up to where the car was parked. Then he heard the cry again. This time he knew that it wasn't a thing but a person laying there. Oh God! It was a woman!  
  
Elizabeth couldn't move. Her body hurt everywhere. She felt herself slipping out of consciousness. Jason ran towards the woman, landing on his knees. Elizabeth felt someone get close to her and started to panic.  
  
"NO! DON'T! PLEASE!"  
  
"Its ok. He's gone. I'm not going to hurt you." He knelt over her and tried to see her face. She was bleeding and her face was already swollen from the bruises. Her face was unrecognizable. Son of a bitch! He had beat her hard. Once he got a hold of his emotions and temper he tried to touch her face. She had her eyes close as if trying to protect herself.  
  
"NO! HELP... NO! " She cried again.  
  
"He's gone. I- I just want to help you. You're safe now."  
  
The soft words, made her calm down. He wanted to help. As she started to ease the tension in her battered body, he moved his hand to cup her cheek. "Its ok. He's gone."  
  
She couldn't understand why, but she felt safe. The sweet tone of voice and his warm hand on her face. It wasn't menacing, but comforting. She opened her eyes slowly. He watched apprehensive as she opened her eyes with difficulty.  
  
His breath was caught in his troat at the recognition. Oh God! Not her. She was just a kid. And she had her whole life ahead of her. God! Soft tears spilled down her bruised face. That monster was going to pay for all the pain he gave her. Jason Morgan was going to make sure of that.  
  
"You're ok. Am here. I won't let anything bad happen to you."  
  
Blue... the bluest blue she had ever seeing stared back at her. He spoke, but she didn't really pay attention to his words. His eyes, they had spoken way before he had. She knew he would protect her. She knew she was safe with him. So she closed her eyes and let herself go. Solace... somehow she knew she would be ok.  
  
He watched as she slipped towards nothing and held her close. "Everything is going to be ok, kid. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." 


	5. Dicoveries and connections

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Lily94, am not offended at all I am all for becoming a better writer. Oracle I'm glad you are enjoying the story. And Cara Mia, as always thanks for your support. I'm still trying to decide if she goes to PC, but as of now they're staying on the island for a while. Here's the next installment hope you enjoy it. And please don't forget to review!  
  
**************************************************************************** ********  
  
Chapter 5: Discoveries and connections  
  
Elizabeth opened her eyes. She didn't even attempt to move. Her body was still numb all over. But she didn't have to look to know he was there. Sitting on the chair, by her side. He had stayed there for the past couple of days. Elizabeth had watched him every morning, right before dawn. At night he waited until she was asleep and came into her room, stayed all night and left at sunrise just before she woke up. She felt safe when he was around, so she waited until he came in and sat on the big armchair just then could she really fall sleep. He was so good to her. Like a guardian angel sent to look over her. At first, she felt ashamed by what happened to her. But somehow she knew he wouldn't judge her. Even if it was her fault, even if he had warned her and she hadn't listen. Tears had started to fall from her eyes and a deep ache was overwhelming her heart. She was damaged. If no one had want her before, no one would now.  
  
Jason felt her sobs and opened his eyes immediately. He thought she had started to cry on her sleep as she had before, but found her wide blue eyes opened. He was taken aback for a moment and hesitated for a second before sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked at him and his heart broke again. She seemed so lost and scared. It was painful to see a young girl in so much pain.  
  
He was about to stroke her curly locks, but paused his hand midair afraid he might scare her.  
  
"What's wrong? Does something hurt?"  
  
She nodded slightly.  
  
"I'm going to call the doctor."  
  
"No." Her voice came out shaky.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It hurts here." She moved her small hand over her chest.  
  
"I thought... do you want me to call Grace. She stayed here last night. She doesn't want to leave you alone."  
  
"It's ok. I just... I..." She started to cry again.  
  
Before he even thought about what he was doing, he had bent towards her and had her in his arms hugging her tightly. Elizabeth couldn't help but cry harder.  
  
He stroke her back soothingly for minutes before her tears subsided. When she could breath more easily, he let her go.  
  
"Am sorry. I don't know what came over me." She apologized for her behavior.  
  
"You've been trough a very rough time. You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."  
  
"But it was. It was my fault. Grace warned me and so did you, but I was being stubborn. I wanted to forget about everything. I wanted to live dangerously and feel nothing. It was my fault for going with him when I didn't even know him."  
  
Jason was taken aback by her outburst. He hadn't meant it like that. But this was obviously what was bugging her mind.  
  
"Aren't you going to say 'I told you so'?"  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"You told me to be careful... and I left with him in part to piss you of. I didn't need one more person telling me what to do. And I ended up..." Her voice broke.  
  
"Look what happened wasn't you're fault. That bastard, what he did wasn't right. He is just a good for nothing- sorry excuse of a man that can't get any, and has to go around stealing young girls innocence forcing himself on them."  
  
"But I lead him on. He said that my clothes..."  
  
"Forget what that rat said. You could've being walking around naked, but if you said no he had to respect that."  
  
"I said no. I did. I told him that I wanted to go home, but he wouldn't take me. I said I had to get home early, but he wouldn't take me." She was desperate now. And fresh tears bathed her face.  
  
He hugged her again. "It's ok, kid. Everything is going to be ok."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason was in the study talking on the phone with Benny, Sonny's accountant and research worker.  
  
"So he works for Marino. That's good info, Benny. Yes. Please keep working on that. I have two guys asking around. No, this is personal. If something comes up I'll talk to Sonny myself. Thank you."  
  
A knock came at the door then. Grace and Dr. Barbara Díaz came in.  
  
"Am sorry to disturb you, Sir. I just needed to talk to you for a minute."  
  
"Is ok. But please Grace, call me Jason."  
  
"Ok. Jason. It's about Elizabeth."  
  
"What about her? Is she ok?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What is it that you want to talk to me about, then?"  
  
"I wanted to let you know she's doing better. She seemed to calm down once I explained to her some things."  
  
"Like what?" The two women in the room looked at each other. Jason was confused. "What?"  
  
" She thought she was raped. She fell unconscious before really understanding what happened yesterday."  
  
Jason's worried expression was burning into her. "She's fine now. You got there just in time."  
  
"So he didn't actually raped her."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Thank God!" The words flew out of his mouth.  
  
"I still think she's going to need to talk to someone. A counselor, might help her get over the shock and the guilt she's suffering. She was still battered and assaulted, even if he didn't actually violated her." She took a small card and gave it to Grace. "This is the name of a colleague whose specialty is women's assault. She even has a group section. Elizabeth has to understand that this wasn't her fault and that in the circumstances she was lucky."  
  
"I'll try to talk to her about it. But I don't think she'll go. That little girl is so stubborn."  
  
"Well. I guess, I should go. If she needs anything just call me."  
  
"Thank you Barbara. Tell Marcos, I'll call him later. I don't think I'll come to the Casino in a couple of days."  
  
"Will do. Have a nice day."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
He finished her meal and set the tray a side. Grace, gave her two pills and a glass of water. Elizabeth took them and set the glass on the tray.  
  
"I have to tell you something."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Your father called yesterday. He wanted to talk to you. I-"  
  
Elizabeth looked towards the window. "You told him didn't you?"  
  
"I had to. It seems he called Saturday and there was no answer all day. I tried to cover with a lie, but Dr. Jeff can read me like a book."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"N-Nothing."  
  
"Nothing." She was holding her tears back. "Figures."  
  
"He seemed disturbed by the news. I'm sure he was just in shock. They might even come to take you home."  
  
"They are not coming, Grace. They don't care what happens to me. They sent me thousands of miles away, so they didn't have to worry about me. They don't care what happens to little old Lizzie. Now am more damaged than before."  
  
"Don't say that sweetheart. They are your family. They love you."  
  
"I don't have a family." She cleaned a single drop of tear that slip away. "The only family I had died when I was thirteen years old." A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "You're stuck with me."  
  
"Oh! I love you so much, little brat. Don't even start with me."  
  
"I love you too Grace."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason waited until all the lights were turned off and walked into the room. It was dark, but he already knew the way toward the armchair that had being his bed for the last three nights. He tried not to make any noise, but to him it seems that when you tried to be quiet was when you were the loudest. He found the chair and bent to sit down. Then came the scream.  
  
"Ouch! Get of me!"  
  
"What the hell!" He stood up abruptly and the nightlight was turned on. "What are you doing there?"  
  
"I could ask the same thing, but I already know the answer." Elizabeth was sitting on the chair covered by a yellow afghan.  
  
"I-"  
  
"Your busted Mr. Morgan. I know you've being sneaking into my room every night since I've being here. What do you have to say about that?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"You already said that." Her expression was challenging and her eyes hid a glint of humor.  
  
"What are you doing up? You're suppose to be sleeping."  
  
"Don't change the subject. We were talking about you."  
  
"Well now am talking about you." He crossed his arms over his chest. She couldn't help but notice the black shirt stretch over his muscles.  
  
"I- I guess we're both busted then. I couldn't sleep."  
  
He moved to the edge of the bed and sat facing her. "Did you have another nightmare?"  
  
"How do you... of course. You were here. " She vowed her head.  
  
"Don't be ashamed. I didn't mean to intrude. That night, after the doctor checked on you, you had a nightmare. I was on the way to my room and I heard you scream. That was when I first came in here. I tried to wake you up but as soon as I sat next to you, you calmed down. I didn't planned on staying, I moved to the armchair for a while but I kinda fell asleep."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For helping me. For saving me that night, for taking care of me, for staying with me at night. For everything I guess."  
  
"I didn't do anything. For some reason I was on the right place at the right time."  
  
"Thank you, anyway. I guess it feels safe having you close."  
  
Silence fell upon them, but it wasn't awkward at all. It was comforting. Elizabeth closed her eyes and thanked God that Jason was there. He took her away from everything and gave her a safe place. She wasn't sure she could have gone trough this ordeal alone. She was feeling better, physically at least. So maybe time was running out and she had to go back to real life.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Did I say all that out loud?"  
  
"Just that it was time to go back to real life. What did you mean?"  
  
"Its just that I've been imposing on you all weekend. I should go back to my house. And besides I already missed school today. Mother Superior would have a fit if I miss more than one day of school."  
  
"Your not imposing on anyone here. And Barbara said you should rest."  
  
"I feel better. I'm not crazy about the bruises, but I can deal with that for a couple more days."  
  
"You can do whatever you want. If you want to go home, I'll take you tomorrow."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"You don't, what?"  
  
Whatever made you say that? What will he think about you? Think of something fast. He could see her internal struggle reflected on her eyes. She was nervous, he knew because she was biting her lower lip. He decided to let it go and change the subject.  
  
"So you go to Catholic School."  
  
"Hum?" She looked up. "What was that?"  
  
"I asked you if you went to Catholic School."  
  
"Urrg, unfortunately."  
  
He bit his tongue to prevent the laugh that was coming. " I take it you don't like it."  
  
"Like it. Try hated. They make me use a uniform and they have like ten thousand different rule books. Like dressing codes and rules of conduct. I wish I could have gone to a public school."  
  
"In Puerto Rico all public schools use uniforms as well, so there's not much difference there. Aren't you a senior?" "Yes. Finally. I have three more months to go and I'm done with books for a while."  
  
"Don't you want to go to college?"  
  
"Yeah. But am definitely taking a break. I want a year for myself. I want to go backpacking trough Europe and I want to go on a road trip from LA to New York. I want to see the world, before I go back to studying my brains out. Besides, I don't really know what I want to study." Jason listened intently at all she had to say. She noticed him watching and stopped.  
  
"Why did you stopped?"  
  
"I was rambling."  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
"You don't, don't you?"  
  
"Where else do you want to go?"  
  
"Everywhere and nowhere. Well, nowhere in a good place. 'Cause lately nowhere is being sucking big time. "  
  
"Nowhere?"  
  
"Yeah. A while ago I realized I lived nowhere. You know that empty place inside you, like nothing. That's it, I live in nothingness. I don't know how to explain it. Have you ever had one good thing in your life and lost it? You know, have someone come along who made you understand what the point was-the point of being alive at all-and then proved it by being gone and leaving you with nothing? Do you know what nothing feels like?" She had tears on her eyes.  
  
"Yeah. That's pretty much where I live."  
  
She dried her tears and laughed. "Well look at us, two very sad and lonely human beings on a road to nowhere."  
  
"If we are both in a road to nowhere, then we are not alone anymore."  
  
"Yeah, maybe we can travel down this road together."  
  
"Move away from nothing."  
  
"Yeah." Silence overcame the place once more while they looked at each other.  
  
"You should go to sleep now." He stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"No. Don't go. Please stay, at least until I fall asleep."  
  
"Ok."  
  
She moved to the bed and laid down. He sat on the armchair. When she was tucked in, he turned off the light.  
  
"Good night, Jason."  
  
"Good night, kid." 


	6. Designated Friends

A/N: Hello girls! Thanks for the reviews. I see there's still some doubt on Liz's age, she is 17 years old in the story. Hope you like this new chapter. I have this ideas going around in my head, this can be considered the start of a new twist in this story. Please read and review. I'd like to know what you're thinking and if you have any ideas or doubts. Enjoy!  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Chapter 6: Designated friends  
  
Three weeks flew by and Elizabeth was back home and in school. But things were different now. How could they not be after everything she had gone through? She wasn't the same girl anymore, her innocence and her hope had been taken from her. It had nothing to do with Tony. He was just the last thorn on her fragile side, one more bad memory to store on her bad memory's trunk. Life had been an eternal struggle for her. Elizabeth had to fight more for her right to happiness in her short 17 years of life, than anyone would be willing to in their whole life.  
  
She was sitting on a bench by the school fence sketching. Painting has always been her escape and lately it was the only thing that got her through the long and lonely days. She went through her days on a routine. She woke up, got ready, went to school, went home, sketched for a while, went to the meetings of the support group and went back home to sketch some more until she felt asleep. Jason had called her a couple of times to see how she was doing. He had gone out of town on a business trip so she hadn't seen him since the day he had taken her back to her house. For some strange reason, Jason had become an anchor for her. He was her link to reality when everything seemed to go into a nightmare-like state. Her designated friend.  
  
Her concentration broke when a motorcycle revved up the street. She felt her heart do a flip. When she looked up, she found the biker right in front of the gate. All of the girls were mumbling and sighing at the leather clad mystery man. Elizabeth didn't need to see his face to know it was Jason. She stood up and dropped her sketchbook on the bench as she made her way to the fence. Every girl looked at her and wondered what was going on.  
  
Jason stopped the bike and removed his helmet. He looked up and found her walking up to the fence. She seemed pale and her eyes were still sad. But he was determined to put a smile on her face, even if he had to make a fool of himself in order to do it.  
  
"Hey." He said as she approached the fence.  
  
"I thought you were out of town on business."  
  
"Just got back. How are you doing?" He was still sitting on the bike.  
  
"Hanging in there. How did you know where I went to school?"  
  
"Grace told me."  
  
"You talked to Grace. Should have known. So, how was your trip?" "I did what I had to do and came back."  
  
"You went home didn't you?"  
  
"Yes I did. But I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"I get it."  
  
They kept quiet for a while but a strong woman's voice carried to them. Jason looked pass Elizabeth and she turned to follow his gaze.  
  
"Sister Mary Magdalen."  
  
"Miss Webber. I would think you had learned the Rules of Conduct by now. But I guess you haven't. You're not supposed to talk to strangers, while on the grounds. Least of all men on motorcycles."  
  
Both Liz and Jason restrained a chuckle at the nun's ceremonial tone. "What's so funny?" She asked.  
  
"It's just that Jason is not a stranger. He's a friend."  
  
"A friend? I don't think is healthy for a young girl like you to have friends . . . " She looked at Jason again and wrinkled her nose. "... to have friends like him."  
  
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but that's not up to you Sister Mary Magdalen. I get to decide whom I want as my friend, not you."  
  
"You're out of order, Miss Webber. You're still on school grounds."  
  
Just when Elizabeth was about to answer back, the last bell rang. "That means school is over. Now I can do as I please." She turned to Jason. "Would you give me a ride?"  
  
"That's why I'm here." He didn't miss the glint in her eyes and the small grin that appeared in her lips.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She turned and found the nun scowling at her. "I don't think is appropriate for you to leave . . . " Liz had walked back to the bench were her bag and sketchbook were lying.  
  
"Miss Webber."  
  
"Have a nice afternoon Sister Mary Magdalen." Elizabeth shouted as she made her way out of the gate.  
  
She got to where Jason's bike was and stood a couple of feet away. Everyone was looking at her but she didn't look back. "What are you waiting for? Hop in." Jason said signaling to the sit behind him.  
  
"Are you sure? What about Manuel? If he gets here and I'm not around he'll freak out."  
  
"He's not coming. I asked Grace if I could come and pick you up. We can go for a ride and then I'll take you to your meeting." A full smile graced her face. And her expression brighten a little. "So, are you coming? Or are you gonna stand there all afternoon."  
  
"No."  
  
"No? You don't want a ride?" He said toying with her.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Yes, you still don't want a ride? What is it? Yes or no?"  
  
She hit him playfully on the arm and yelled. "Yes. Yes, I want a ride."  
  
He laughed at her goofy face and exasperated sigh. "Here, wear this. And hold on tight."  
  
She grabbed the helmet and slid in the back of the bike. She put on the helmet and grabbed Jason's middle slipping closer to him. Jason turned on the bike and revved up, speeding up out of there.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason rode for half and hour down the streets. He took a couple of turns fast and Elizabeth yelled in his ear to go faster. At first he thought she was afraid but after hearing her laughter, he relaxed. She seemed happy. He took the highway up to Old San Juan. The smaller streets there made it difficult to go fast but they enjoyed looking at the old Spanish buildings. The architecture was amazing. It made him remember the small town where he stayed in Madrid last year. After a couple of minutes he came to a stop in front of a small Plaza. Elizabeth stepped down and he followed her. She took the helmet of and shook her hair, that had come loose from her braid. He found the big smile still on her face.  
  
"That was amazing. I couldn't differentiate between the palm trees and the buildings or the sky and the sea. We were practically flying."  
  
"You got the bug."  
  
"What bug?"  
  
"You like to ride fast."  
  
"Like? Love it! It's amazing, feeling the wind on your face and not being able to think about anything or anyone."  
  
He leads her as they started to walk slowly. "I love it to. Being on that bike is the closest thing to freedom I've ever experienced."  
  
"Freedom . . . I didn't remember what that was like. But I see what you mean, ridding on that bike is pure freedom. Thank you."  
  
"For what? I didn't do anything."  
  
"Exactly. Grace, Manuel, the doctor at the support group. . . they are all trying so hard to make it ok. You know, to erase what happened, make me forget."  
  
"That's not going to happen over night."  
  
"Well try telling them that."  
  
"Do you still have the nightmares?"  
  
"Sometimes. There are good days and bad ones. I mostly sketch and paint, that helps me. It keeps me occupied in other things. I have studied more in the last two weeks than I have the past two years."  
  
"You're an artist then."  
  
"Not so much an artist, but an apprentice. I try to paint. I used to take classes before and now I'm taking classes at school. I've being thinking about studying art in college."  
  
"I thought you said you wanted to travel first."  
  
"That's the thing, I still don't know what I want do. At first I hated it here, but I've learned to appreciate the place. The people here are nice, and the landscape is breathtaking. Besides, I don't know if I'm ready to leave Grace behind. She's been like family. I'll miss her too much if I left."  
  
"She's being like a grandmother to you."  
  
Her expression turned somber in an instant. She looked away when she felt the tears sting at the back of her eyes. He saw her tense and knew he'd said something wrong, but he wasn't about to mess things more by asking her. So, he let her take a minute. They kept walking and found an out doors Café. Jason touched her on the small of her back and tipped his head toward an empty table. He held a chair out for her and she sat down, he took the seat in front of her.  
  
"You read my mind. I'm starving." She said with a forced smile.  
  
He immediately noticed, but let it go. "I thought you might be."  
  
A waitress came and took their order. They ate in silence. Jason looked at her from time to time. Her brows seemed to straighten after a while. She must've pushed whatever had bother her earlier away. Twenty minutes later they were finishing their food. After paying the bill, they went back to the where the bike was parked.  
  
"We have to go back."  
  
"I know. I have a meeting today."  
  
"Is it helping?"  
  
"I mostly sit there and listen. Today I have to talk though. Dr. Sanchez, wants to know how I'm doing."  
  
"Barbara, told me she was the best at that kind of treatment."  
  
"She is. She's being wonderful to me."  
  
"But you said earlier she's trying to erase everything and forcing you to be ok."  
  
"She's not forcing me. But, sometimes I feel like I'm not healing fast enough."  
  
"Some things happened fast, but you have to live trough then slow."  
  
"Is that how you dealt with what happened with Robin and your son?"  
  
Jason's eyes became dark and distant, his expression went cold. Elizabeth swallowed and looked at him, remorse in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be noisy. I just-"  
  
"We have to get you home." He gave her the helmet and straddle the bike.  
  
"But..." He turned the bike and revved it, shutting her up. Elizabeth blinked back tears and slid on the bike, leaving an inch between them.  
  
As soon as Jason started on the way he was cursing himself for treating her like that. But the subject was still too recent. After going back to Port Charles and finding out that Carly and Sonny were married and that Michael was now a Corinthos his heart had being broken again. He still had hope of becoming Michael's father some day, even if it meant having to deal with Carly. But now those hopes had vanished forever. He still remembered the look on Sonny's face. They were happy. That should have been enough, but somehow for him it wasn't. He still wished it could've being him, and that made him feel like a traitor.  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Elizabeth came home late after the group session. She was still thinking about Jason. Something was wrong. He became cold and distant. After dropping her he hardly said "See you later.", before taking of. He had gone back to New York. She had the feeling that something had happened there, something that had nothing to do with business.  
  
She was deep in thought and didn't noticed the figure sitting in the dark. She was half way up the stairs when the lights turned on. She stopped and turned slowly to find blue eyes looking straight at her.  
  
"Are you going to stand there all night?"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was void of emotion.  
  
"Well, this is my house." He made his way up and stood in front of her. "So are you going to say hello to your big brother or what?" He grabbed Elizabeth and gave her a bear hug. She left her arms on her sides. "Hello Steven." 


	7. Oh Brother!

Chapter 7: Oh Brother!  
  
Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked to the window and saw the amazing view that greeted her every morning. And then she saw Grace moving around the room. Elizabeth watched her carefully. Since the day she walked through the door Grace and her husband Manuel had managed to give her all the support and love that her family had neglected to give. Her family. Steven. He was here. No he couldn't have being maybe it was dream, a bad dream, a nightmare. Because if he was here, that meant her family was up to something. She closed her eyes and tried to think of other things.  
  
Grace was straightening out the walk up closet, but she didn't have to look up to know that Elizabeth was awake. She couldn't say the exact moment she started caring so much for the little brat. Even though the teenager tried to act nonchalant and hotheaded, Grace saw the truth in her eyes. She was just a scared and lonely little girl. The only thing she was asking for was love. And her family seemed to have denied it to her. The girl had walked into this house bearing the weight of the world in her fragile shoulders. From the moment she laid eyes on her, she knew that Elizabeth was special. Life had being rough, but nobody ever said it was going to be easy. Sometimes people need to go through hell to find paradise. Grace was sure that Elizabeth was going to find happiness at the end of the rainbow. But in the meantime she was ready to fight with her. And fight they would, now that the Webber Family seem to have remember they had a young daughter. The fact that Steven Webber was the first to arrived meant that the rest were on their way. What were they looking for? Only God knew for certain. But now there was a difference, Elizabeth wasn't alone anymore.  
  
"Sleep well?" Came the voice of the older woman and caused Elizabeth's eyes to open again. Grace was still inside the closet. Elizabeth smiled and answered. "How do you do that?"  
  
"I can smell a brat miles away. The only time you're not up to something is when you're asleep like a little angel."  
  
"I'm not a brat. And I wasn't planning anything." Countered Elizabeth to the still empty room.  
  
Grace walked out with an armful of dirty clothes and found Elizabeth floating in white pillows and stuff animals with a huge smile on her face. "How did you sleep?"  
  
"Good. But I had the most unsettling dream." Elizabeth sat up and leaned against the headboard while Grace dumped the clothes in the chair next to the desk. "I dreamt my brother was home."  
  
Grace walked closer to her and sat at the edge of the bed. Taking Elizabeth's hands in hers, she talked. "That wasn't a dream child. Mr. Webber is here."  
  
"Mr. Webber? You mean Steven, right? Not Jeff."  
  
"Yes, Steven. He arrived yesterday afternoon. Right after you left with Manuel for your appointment."  
  
"So it wasn't a dream? He really hugged me last night." Her faced twisted in disgust. "Did he say why he was here or for how long?" "No. He merely said he was home and barked orders about how things were going to be from now on."  
  
"He what? Did he yell at you? I'm going to kill him. He doesn't have the right. This is it. I'm going to find him and tell him to get rid of the stick he has up his ass. This is not his house. We are not receiving orders from a Jeff wannabe." Elizabeth was on her feet now.  
  
"Wait. You don't have to fight for me. I did that for myself."  
  
Elizabeth's face brighten at the thought of sweet Grace setting straight her stuck-up brother. "What did you say to him?"  
  
"That's non of your business." Elizabeth opened her eyes at that remark. Grace continued. "But I'm an old woman and no one barges into my kitchen and tells me what to do with a bark. I talk and I like it when people talk back. So I told him that if he wanted changes he better asked with a nice tone of voice and that a please wouldn't hurt either."  
  
"And what did he say to that?" Liz was smiling at the thought of her brother being talked down by Grace.  
  
"He mumbled something and left."  
  
"You go Grace!"  
  
"I give respect, so I better get respect in return."  
  
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Both women said in unison and laughed.  
  
"Is he awake?"  
  
"He woke up early and said something about a hospital. He asked for me to tell you to wait for him. He wants to have lunch with you, so you can catch up."  
  
"He asked."  
  
"Yes he did."  
  
"That means I have a couple of hours to prepare myself for the storm."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Jason walked to his office with a scowl on his face. It had been a long night and he wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. Gabriella, his secretary, didn't even dare to look at him. She had to warn him about the visit that was waiting in his office, but she knew better than to talk to him when he was in a bad mood. She had being forewarned about the many moods of Jason Morgan. Jason opened the door to his office and stopped on his tracks when he saw the two figures sitting before him and the man standing near the mini bar. He closed the door and moved to his chair.  
  
"Good morning to you too."  
  
"Does this mean you're not glad to see us?"  
  
"I warned them about your mood swings, but they ignored me." Marcos had a glass of scotch in his hand.  
  
"Would you shut up?" Jason said to no one in particular.  
  
"Told you." Marcos added, nodding to the two men before drinking from his glass.  
  
"What crawled up your ass and died?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"So what is it? The heat? You know it might work to take the damn leather jacket off. You're leaving in a tropical island for God sake's!"  
  
"What is it, like 90 degrees out there?"  
  
"93°."  
  
"Is there a point to all this bickering? I have work to do. If you two are here that means you two have work to do too."  
  
"Bossy much?"  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Her makeshift studio was flooding with canvases, oil and acrylic paints, brushes every size imaginable, cloths, turpentine and carbon pencils. She was sitting on the floor looking inside a box. Elizabeth was looking through her sketch books. She had to find those drawings. She had being thinking about Jason and the way his eyes darkened, when she mentioned his son. He went back to New York, her bet was something happened to the little boy. Something he didn't want to talk about, but that he was still feeling deep inside. Maybe if she could find the sketches and make him a picture his eyes would lit up again. She had to at least try. She took another one and opened it to find what she was looking for.  
  
She had being having a nice quiet afternoon. Laying on the sand, reading a book and sketching every other person that caught her eye. Then she saw him. She hadn't recognized him at first. He looked different, relaxed and almost happy. The little boy was smiling and when she caught his eyes and face she saw he was too. She picked up her sketched book and pencil and moved closer, but being extremely careful not to be seen. She sat down under a palm tree and started sketching them.  
  
Getting up from the floor with the book in her hands she was going over the sketches she had made that day at the beach. She found the perfect one. She laid the book on the big wooden table in the middle of the room. She started looking for a blank canvas.  
  
"Urgg! This place is a dump! I can't find a thing in here." She kept going through the clutter when the door opened.  
  
"Haven't change a bit since we last saw each other. Still talking to yourself and still a slob." The blond man walked into the room with a smile on his face.  
  
"You haven't change much either. Ever heard of knocking?" She kept looking around.  
  
"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. Just wanted to see what you were up to."  
  
"Well you came, you saw, you can leave now."  
  
"Whoa! Got up from the wrong side of the bed?"  
  
"I didn't mean to be rude. I just... I'm not used to being disturbed when I'm painting. Grace and Manuel always knock first. I've being leaving alone for a long time. I guess I'll have to get use to having you around again."  
  
"So you stuck with it?" Seeing her confusion he continued. "The painting I mean. I remember when we were little. You were always asking for new coloring books and pencils. Grandmother always..." Elizabeth winced at the mention of her Grandmother.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."  
  
"It's OK."  
  
"You have a lot of stuff. You did all this?" He said pointing at a couple of paintings that where placed on various easels near a large window. "Wow. This are actually really good."  
  
"Gee thanks."  
  
"No. I mean it Lizzie. This are great. You definitely got Grandmother's talent."  
  
She spoke before he continues. "Steven, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Didn't the housekeeper tell you? I came to have lunch with you."  
  
"First, her name is Grace. Second, yes she did tell me. And third, I didn't mean here right now. I meant here as in Puerto Rico."  
  
"I missed you. We all have. Can't a guy come visit his little sister?"  
  
"You missed me? Come on. You rarely spoke to me when we lived in Colorado. Why would you come all the way to Puerto Rico to see me when all of you sent me into exile the first chance you got?"  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
"O' Brien, Caruso. What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Should we be intimidated that you're using our last names, Morgan?"  
  
"Johnny cut it out. We have work to do. The man is obviously in a bad mood, what can we do about it?"  
  
"Annoy the hell out of him."  
  
Francis shook his head and started informing his boss about their assignment, ignoring his partner. "Sonny sent us to investigate Carlos Morales and his organization. We have every reason to believe that some of his connections are meeting here in the casino. By being in the inside they are sure that none of our guys point them out as enemies."  
  
"In the inside as in working for us?"  
  
"We are not a hundred percent sure yet. Benny is running background checks as we speak, but we've being talking about it and maybe they are just using the casino as a rendezvous point. They might be trading information under our noses."  
  
"I've being on top of security myself. This is not happening in our tables. I would've notice by now." Marcos was pissed. If what they where saying was true, he hadn't being doing his job well and that wasn't an option when you worked for Sonny Corinthos.  
  
"We know you're doing your job Diaz. That is not the problem."  
  
"Call me Marcos. The only one who calls me Diaz is my wife when I'm in trouble."  
  
All of them laughed, all but Jason. Johnny went on. "This are some of the men we're checking out." He passed the others folders full of information on the key players on the drug network operating the island.  
  
Jason kept his eyes on the papers, examining them closely. Then he saw him. The same dark hair and eyes. The same smugly smile and shiny jewelry. Tony. The man that attacked Elizabeth.  
  
"Hey take it easy. The paper didn't do anything to you." At Johnny's words he looked up. His eyes were full of rage and his hands were crumbling the papers he was holding. Marco saw the picture at the top of the file and realized why Jason was infuriated.  
  
"That's the same little punk that attacked her."  
  
"Attacked who?" Francis and Johnny were looking back to Marcos and Jason in search of an answer. Neither answer the question.  
  
"Benny told me he work for Carlos, but he never said he was Carlos younger brother."  
  
"That's Tony, right? The kid was doing small jobs on the network, working his way up. He wants to prove to his brother he's worthy of his trust. Lately he moved up on the organization. A month ago he traveled to Miami and has being sending potential dealers out on expeditions."  
  
"That's why I haven't found him."  
  
"Why are you looking for him?"  
  
"Who did he attacked?"  
  
"This one is mine. I want to take care of Tony Morales myself. He has a debt to pay and I'm going to collect."  
  
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~  
  
Lunch went by slowly. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to get away. Steven Webber had grown up to be even more obnoxious than he was years ago. Now he was a research doctor. The pride of Jeff and Carol Webber, and the entire posh society of Colorado. If she had to listen to one more of his 'How I saved the day' stories she was going to puke BBQ chicken all over him.  
  
"They remembered me from when I worked as an intern in the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at the University of Puerto Rico Medicine School, so they called me up and offered me a position in the HIV Research team."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be with my baby sister."  
  
"I'm sure I was your first thought when you got that offer." She was as sarcastic as she could be.  
  
"Are you mad that I came here?" He said dropping his fork.  
  
"No. Why would you say that?" She said not even making an effort to disguise her lie.  
  
"Well your tone for one. Look it's being two years since we last saw each other. I know we were never close, but I'm making an effort here."  
  
"Yeah well, I don't need you to make an effort OK. I've being completely happy living alone for two years. You don't need to pretend you care, when you really don't. No one from the Webber family have give a damn about me before, why start now? You came here to work, I was vanished here for whatever reasons. We're going to live together, fine. But you don't have to make an effort to connect with me. You don't even have to talk to me at all. I'm about to graduate highschool and in a month I'll be 18 years old. I'm going to be out of your lives soon. So let's just stay away from each others lives until then." She stood up and left the dinning room without looking back.  
  
"Bitch." He said once he was alone. He took his cell phone and dialed the number. "Hey, is me. Yes. This is going to be more difficult than what I originally thought. She's jaded and right down bitchy. I know, she said something about when she turns 18, she's going to be out of our lives forever. No I didn't say anything about that. She thinks I want to mend old wounds and that I came here to be the perfect older brother. I know that's my job, but it's going to take more than sweet talk. OK. I'll try. Talk to you later." He pushed the end button and sighed. This was going to be more difficult than what he thought. 


	8. At Work

A/N: Is anybody still interested in this story? I sure hope so.

Chapter 8: At Work 

He had being sitting next to the pool for hours. The sun had set and the stars had come out of hiding, but he still didn't have a clue. What was it about her that appealed to him? Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?  
  
Elizabeth Webber had come out of nowhere and made her way into his life without warning. The first time they met he didn't give her much thought, but after that night in the casino, two months ago, something happened. She seemed so full of life and spunk when he approached her. A smile came across his face as he remembered her getting anxious and restless at his questions. He shook his head and his smile disappeared when he remembered everything that happened that night. She had been broken, both inside and out. The image of her laying in the floor, curled up in a ball and full of bruises, made his heart constrict. She was so small and delicate. He felt the urge to protect her. Elizabeth was just a kid. He knew it was wrong of him, even selfish to want her in his life. He knew his life was dangerous and that in the end it was better if he stopped seeing her, but he knew he couldn't. Hell, he wouldn't. She was alone and he, even though he didn't want to admit it, was alone too. They had a special bond and even Jason Morgan needed a friend sometimes. So that was it, he had made a decision. A decision that could complicate his life, but he'll have to deal with that when the time came.  
  
Jason stood up and reached for the cordless phone that was sitting on the table. He started to pace around the edge of the pool. He dialed the number and waited for it to ring, but it was busy. He turned the phone off and looked at the calm blue water. He hoped that he was doing the right thing.  
  
Elizabeth hung up the phone and sighed, half in disappointment and half in relief that the line was busy. She didn't even know what possessed her to call him. What was she going to say to him if he had answered? God, what was it about him that drew her to him?  
  
Two months ago she was sure he was an arrogant SOB. But he had to go and do a 180 on her. He helped her and took care of her when she needed him the most. Who was the real Jason Morgan? The arrogant and bossy boyfriend or the sweet and kind man that life had designated to be her friend? Right now she didn't have an answer, but she was going to work on finding out. Only one thing was for sure, she wanted him in her life either way.  
  
Early Sunday morning, Jason made his way to the office. He still had things to go through before the meeting with the guys. The last thing he was expecting was to find Marco's wife, Barbara, sitting in the secretary's desk outside his office.  
  
"Jason? What a surprise!"  
  
"Barbara. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Always right to the point. I'm waiting for Marcos. He said there were some problems and he wanted to check some security tapes, before your meeting, later."  
  
"What exactly did he said about the problems we've being having?"  
  
Barbara laughed at his severe expression. "Don't worry Jason. He didn't say anything more than what I just told you. But what if he did? I've being the doctor of the organization here for three years now. I know what you guys do for a living. I've being in the business longer than any of you, my father did this for a living too. That's how I met Marcos in the first place."  
  
"I know your father was the right-hand man of Rivera, but it's different now. You know how Sonny is about women getting involved. You just need to know enough to do your job well, not more and not less."  
  
"I've never asked anything more. But, I do need to know whenever my husband's life is in danger."  
  
"I understand."  
  
There was a short silence. She spoke then. "So. Is my husband's life in danger?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Okay." Jason moved to the door of his office and Barbara called him again.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Marcos did told me something else."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't take it out on him. I asked and it kind of slipped out."  
  
"What exactly did he let slip?"  
  
"I asked if you guys knew anything about the slime ball that attacked Elizabeth. He told me he's one of the guys that O' Brian and Caruso are looking for."  
  
"He is."  
  
"If Caruso and O' Brian are here that means this is really bad isn't it?"  
  
"We are going to take care of this. You don't have to worry about it."  
  
"What about Elizabeth?"  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Is she OK? I talked to Sanchez and she said that Elizabeth has done some progress. Friday's group session was a real breakthrough for her."  
  
Jason kept his face expressionless but inside a knot had come loose. She was getting better. He would like to think that his visit had something to do with it, but he knew better than that. She was a determined young woman, independent and strong. She was capable of doing that all by herself.  
  
"That's good."  
  
"I hope you won't distance yourself from her, now that there's trouble."  
  
"I didn't do anything."  
  
"Oh please, don't try to play dumb with me. I was there when you brought her home. I saw you two interacting a couple of times before she went back to her house. For some reason she has let you into her life, she needs someone and my bet is that you're it. Don't mess this up because you think it'll be dangerous for her or something."  
  
"It can be... dangerous."  
  
"I can assure you that it can be more dangerous for her if you drop out of her life without warning. Oh, but keep in mind I'm not telling you to be with her, as in be a couple. I don't think she's ready for that either."  
  
Jason was speechless. The thought had never cross his mind. She was just a kid. He'll never se her in that way. We'll not now anyway. If he was to be truthful with himself, he had felt attracted to her that first night they met, years ago. And that night in the casino she looked beautiful, but he didn't see her in that way. Those were two isolated incidents. Weren't they?  
  
Marcos had being standing on the doorway listening to his wife give Jason the third degree. But as soon as he saw Jason's face he moved to the desk an spoke.  
  
"Come on Barbara. For what you've told me this Elizabeth is just a kid. How old is she? Fifteen?"  
  
"She's going to be eighteen next month." The married couple looked at Jason as he spoke.  
  
"See. She's like 10 years younger than you isn't she?"  
  
"Eight. But that has nothing to do with this."  
  
"It doesn't?" Barbara looked at him in wonder.  
  
"No it doesn't. I don't see her in that way at all. Elizabeth Webber and I are just friends. There's nothing romantic between us and it never will be." At that he turned around and walked to his office leaving the door open so Marcos could follow him inside.  
  
"See what you did. He seemed more relaxed today and you pissed him off again."  
  
"I didn't do anything. I was just talking to him. He pissed himself."  
  
Johnny and Francis walked just in time to hear her last statement.  
  
"Who pissed himself?"  
  
"Jason."  
  
Letting out a laugh Johnny spoke. "What? Is he suffering from incontinence now?"  
  
"Keep it down O' Brien. He's up the wall again."  
  
"Figured."  
  
"What happened?" Francis was standing facing Barbara.  
  
"My dear wife had to go on and on. See she tends to do that sometimes." Marcos was standing besides Barbara. She took advantage of the position and drove her elbow into his side.  
  
"Ouch! Hey! That hurt."  
  
"Good. Stop talking about me as if I wasn't here. I already told you I didn't do anything. It was just an innocent comment."  
  
"About what?" Johnny asked, feeling lost at the conversation between the married couple.  
  
"Elizabeth Webber."  
  
"Who's Elizabeth Webber?" Francis couldn't help himself.  
  
"She's..."  
  
"None of your business." Jason's voice drowned Barbara's voice. "Are you all done talking nonsense?"  
  
"Hey. I recent that. We just got here." Johnny objected from his place.  
  
"Well you should've been here 10 minutes ago. We don't have all day. Are you coming or are you going to stand there all day socializing?"  
  
"Oh God! What did you do to the man, darling? He's even more bitter than yesterday." Barbara just shrugged her shoulders. "Geez. Come on Frannie, before 'The Borg' comes out and drags us inside."  
  
"It was nice to see you Dr. Diaz." Said Francis extending his hand to her. She shook it and smiled. Johnny nodded his head to her with a smile. They moved inside the office as if they were two kids about to be punished by the principal.  
  
Marcos shook his head at his wife.  
  
"What?" She asked irritated. "I'm going to the hotel. I'll be in the pool. Call my cell when you're done."  
  
He moved to kiss her, but she was walking away already. It was then that he realized that he was going to sleep on the couch that night.  
  
Steven had left for work early in the morning. Elizabeth had waited until he was gone to get up. She still wasn't on the mood to hear him declare his undying brotherly love. Soon after he had left she took some breakfast and then went to shower. After getting ready, she marched down with a small backpack. Elizabeth left the house without being spotted. She hated having to lie to Grace, but she couldn't tell her where she was going. Even she wasn't sure what she was going to do once she got where she was going.  
  
Elizabeth made her way down the street and waited for the taxi. 25 minutes later she was knocking on the door. A young woman came to answer. Elizabeth was taken back by the woman. Tall, beautiful sun kissed skin and long and curly, jet black hair. She didn't remember a young, beautiful woman working there. The woman smiled at the petite brunette's expression.  
  
"Hola. En que puedo ayurdate?" (How may I help you?)  
  
"Hi. Yo hablo poquito español. Do you speak English?"  
  
The woman smiled and answered her. "Yes I do. Are you lost or something?"  
  
"No." Elizabeth looked around again. "At least I don't think so. I'm looking for Jason Morgan."  
  
"I thought you may be. He's not home right now. Do you want to leave a message? I don't think he's coming anytime soon. I've heard he buries himself in his work and hardly ever comes back until late at night."  
  
"He's at the casino?"  
  
"I guess. I couldn't know because I was sleeping when he left."  
  
"Oh. I didn't know..." "Eva!" Came the shout of Teresa, the housekeeper. "Eva! What are you doing?"  
  
"Atendiendo a la vista. ¿Qué creías?" ( Attending the guest. What did you think?)  
  
The older woman made her way to the door and looked at Elizabeth. A smile crossed her features at the sight of the girl. "Miss. Webber. How are you doing? Come in. Come in." She looked at the other woman and said. "Why didn't you let her in?"  
  
"No. It's ok. I'm ok. I was looking for Jason, but I was just informed he's working. I guess I'll go to the casino and see if I can catch him there."  
  
Eva stood to a side watching intently at the other two women.  
  
"Wait, I hear you're doing much better. I called Grace last week to see how you were doing. She said everything is back to normal. Is it?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"I would've asked Mr. Morgan, but you know how he is. Always working and so quiet. That boy needs some rest. He lives for his work and that's not healthy. One most work for a living not live to work."  
  
Eva turned and said. "I'm going upstairs." But before walking up Teresa stopped her.  
  
"Wait a minute. Don't be rude. At least introduce yourself."  
  
"Sorry. My name is Eva." She walked to where Elizabeth was standing and extended her hand.  
  
"I'm Elizabeth." Eva smiled and then left.  
  
"You'll have to excuse her. Eva is my granddaughter. She just moved here."  
  
"That explains." Elizabeth said out loud without realizing it. "I didn't remembered meeting her when I was staying here." The older woman smiled. "Well, I should get going. I'm going to the casino and see if I can find Jason there. I already said that didn't I?"  
  
"Yes, you did. It was nice chatting with you. I hope to see you around more often."  
  
"We'll see. Tell Eva that it was nice meeting her."  
  
"Oh, my. I almost forgot. If you see Mr. Morgan, don't tell him you saw Eva."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He doesn't know she's here, yet."  
  
"He doesn't?"  
  
"I haven't gotten around to tell him yet." "OK. I won't. Have a nice day Teresa."  
  
"You too child."  
  
Jason Morgan was restless. They've being on the meeting for hours and they haven't found a damn thing. They looked at papers, security files and videos and nothing. Not a clue about who is using the casino for meetings or exchange point. The only thing they were sure of was that whoever it was, was doing it from the inside.  
  
"Fuck!"  
  
"Careful with the language, Johnny Boy. What's wrong?" Said Francis from his place in the couch.  
  
"Another dead end. We have nothing here." He said dropping the file he had being studying. "What about you?"  
  
"Nothing here either." Said Francis with a desperate sigh.  
  
"This is useless." Marcos admitted giving up on his search on the security tapes.  
  
"We have to find another way of doing this. I thought saw something weird about this guy last night, but he's clean."  
  
"I need a break.  
  
"And I need to use the can." Francis and Johnny looked at Jason.  
  
"Go."  
  
Elizabeth got off the elevator and looked around the floor. The place was huge, all decorated in sober earth colors. Then she saw a door ajar. She made her way to the open door but noticed her shoe lace was untied. She knelt in front of the door and tied it. After she was done she heard his voice.  
  
"This is unacceptable. We can't tolerate this kind of behavior on the organization. Francis and Johnny will take care of him tonight."  
  
Elizabeth was confused at what she heard and decided to leave before she heard anything more.  
  
The two guards were walking back to the office when they noticed the girl. A petite brunette wearing a pair of cut out jeans and a red mesh shirt over a white bikini top was kneeling in front of the door. Then they heard Jason's voice. Could she be a spy?  
  
"We have to stop her." Said Johnny eyeing the girl.  
  
"Johnny wait." Francis tried to stop him but it was too late. The Irish guard strolled to were the brunette was kneeling.  
  
"Need some help?"  
  
Elizabeth looked up and found a rock... dressed in a black suit? "No. I'm okay." She stood up and didn't came even close to see him face to face. She turned her head a little bit more and saw another man walking up toward her. "I was just leaving." She tried to go around Johnny but he moved so she couldn't go through.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" Johnny was teasing her now. He was holding in a laugh.  
  
"Johnny, stop it."  
  
"What were you doing? Are you a spy?"  
  
"A spy? What are you talking about? Excuse me."  
  
Without thinking about it, Johnny grabbed Elizabeth by the elbow.  
  
"Hey! Let go of me. Stop it!"  
  
"Johnny, let her go."  
  
Jason heard the voices and walked out of the office to find the source of the commotion. Francis had his hands on Johnny's arms and Johnny had his hand around Elizabeth's elbow. Elizabeth?  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Came the angry words of Jason Morgan.  
  
All three of them turned their heads to find a very pissed off Jason Morgan standing on the doorway. 


	9. Friends, Guards and Mobsters

**Chapter 9: Friends, Guards and Mobsters**  
  
Jason heard the voices and walked out of the office to find the source of the commotion. Francis had his hands on Johnny's arms and Johnny had his hand around Elizabeth's elbow. Elizabeth?  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Came the angry words of Jason Morgan.  
  
All three of them turned their heads to find a very pissed off Jason Morgan standing on the doorway.  
  
The elevator doors opened to reveal the scene unfolding in the reception. Barbara walked in to find Francis, Johnny, a very angry Jason and a very scared Elizabeth Webber. Her husband was standing behind Jason and they all seemed to be as surprised as she was. She walked closer to the three of them.  
  
"Elizabeth? What is going on here?"  
  
"That's exactly what I want to know." Jason voice was dripping cold.  
  
"Elizabeth? As in Elizabeth Webber? Boy you're screwed!" Francis dropped his hand from Johnny and moved back a step.  
  
Johnny shook his head and dropped the girl's elbow. He ran his hands down his face and cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry I didn't know. I just wanted to give her a scare. I found her lurking around and..."  
  
"I wasn't lurking! You're just a big bully." Elizabeth spat at him and soothed her arm with her other hand.  
  
"Are you OK? Did he hurt you?" Jason's tone was worried as he looked at the girl.  
  
"Only my pride."  
  
"Do you mind waiting for me in my office?"  
  
"Look. I obviously interrupted something I shouldn't have, so I will just get going. I'll call you later."  
  
"Elizabeth, wait for me in the office."  
  
"That sounded more like an order than a request."  
  
"Go inside. Please."  
  
The please was what did it. Elizabeth was trembling but she wasn't about to let all of them see her scared. She breathed deeply and walked around Jason with her head looking straight ahead and her shoulders squared. Marcos moved out of the office and closed the door almost completely behind her. He walked to his wife who was just staring at Johnny practically throwing daggers at him.  
  
"Come on Barbara. This doesn't concern us." He took her wife's shoulders and tried to walk her to the elevator but his attempt was futile.  
  
"Get your hands off of me." She moved from the hold Marcos had on her and she walked directly to Johnny. "Are you insane! What the hell was all that about? That girl must've being scare out of her mind. She's being through a lot in the past few months and the last thing she needs is for a big man like you to manhandle her."  
  
"I..." Johnny started but didn't get to far. Barbara was on his case again. And now her index finger was poking his chest.  
  
"Don't you dare say she was lurking around, O' Brien. That's not an excuse to bully a young man. You should be ashamed of yourself."  
  
"Barbara, that's enough."  
  
"Diaz don't even start with me. Tu ya tienes suficientes problemas como para echarle leña al fuego." (You have enough problems already, so don't add to the fire.)  
  
Marcos face flushed. If his wife was speaking in Spanish, his troubles were bigger than he thought. "I think is time for us to go, honey."  
  
"Don't honey me!" Barbara turned to Jason. "You better take care of these two overgrown apes or I will."  
  
Barbara walked over to the elevator and punched the down button. Marcos looked at the guys trying to apologize and they looked back with sympathy for the older man. The elevator door opened and Barbara walked in without looking back. Marcos walked behind her and the door closed.  
  
Johnny couldn't look at Jason so he kept his eyes trained on the sculpture of a woman in the corner of the reception area. After a couple of minutes of complete silence Jason decided to speak.  
  
"Are you going to explain?"  
  
"Jason, Johnny was just playing." Francis spoke before Johnny had the chance to answer.  
  
"From where I was standing it seemed like he was manhandling her. Didn't you see her eyes? She was scared. Since when do we treat women like that? And you O' Brien? You know better than anybody. You have five sisters."  
  
"Look Jason I didn't think..."  
  
"Exactly. You didn't think. You're going to apologize to her and then you're going to take the No-man's Land watch."  
  
"What? Jason, don't you think that's a bit extreme?"  
  
"You want to make him company Caruso?" Francis looked down. "I didn't think so. You're staying three days in No- man's Land. Then I want to see you in my office first thing Wednesday morning."  
  
"Jason. For what it's worth, I'm sorry." With that Johnny made a turn and took the stairs without looking back.  
  
"Francis I want you to take two men and go to the south of the Island. I got a call before all of this happened. We found a leak. One of the guys has being tailing Harry and last night he was hanging around with two of Morales men."  
  
"I'm on it." Jason turned but Francis called out to him. "Are we ok?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet. You really think three day on No-man's Land was too much?"  
  
"He can handle it." A smile spread across Francis face.  
  
"Call me when you're done."  
  
"Will do boss." And with that Francis took the elevator.  
  
"I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry." Elizabeth repeated the mantra as she walked from one side of the office to the other. And just like that a tear fell. "Damn it!" She dried the tear and tried again. "I'm not going to cry."  
  
She had being pacing ever since she stepped into the office. 53 and a half steps. She counted 53 and a half steps from the couch to the window. Before she started to walk back to the couch Jason stepped in the office. They stared at each other for a minute before she spoke. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to let the words out.  
  
"I- I wasn't spying on you. My shoe lace got untied and I bent down and was tying it when I heard you're voice. I did hear you say something about an organization and taking care of someone, but I didn't mean to hear about it. The door was opened and I didn't even know you were inside. Those two came from behind me and started accusing me of spying and I didn't do it. You have to believe me."  
  
Jason was listening to her rant and he waited until he was sure she was finished. Elizabeth said all of that with a single breath. When she looked at him straight in the eye he was giving her a half smile. He was standing with an arm around his chest and the other one was on his chin.  
  
"W- what?" She said, her voice almost breaking.  
  
"I believe you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes I do."  
  
"The guard didn't."  
  
"He doesn't know you."  
  
"And you do?" She asked skeptical.  
  
"A little bit. But we have to work on that."  
  
"So that's it. We are OK? Just like that?"  
  
"Just one thing. Did he hurt you or scare you?"  
  
"He did scared me a little bit at first, but I'm okay."  
  
"You know you can tell me if you're not, right?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Good."  
  
Jason walked to his desk and closed the open folders that were lying around. He gathered them together and placed them inside a drawer and locked them in. He looked up at her and placed the key in his pocket.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Elizabeth frowned. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Out of here. For a ride."  
  
"Are you for real? After everything that happened... you just want to take of?"  
  
"You don't want to come? I have my bike in the parking lot."  
  
She looked at him in disbelieve. Was this guy for real? Boy had she being wrong about Jason Morgan! Her first impression was definitely the wrong one. This guy wasn't as arrogant and cold as he wanted everyone to believe.  
  
"Lead the way." She said as a smile appeared on her face.  
  
Jason walked to the door and held it open for her. They walked out of the office smiling.  
  
They spent all afternoon riding on the bike along the Seashore Highway, but three hours later Jason drove to his house and parked the motorcycle in the garage. Once Elizabeth stepped of the bike she remembered about the girl she met earlier and frowned. She wasn't about to tell Jason someone else's secret, but hiding things from him made her feel uncomfortable. Besides, they hadn't really talk about what happened in the office or the other day when she mentioned his son or anything for that matter.  
  
If there was something she loved about riding in the back of his bike was the wind. It was so loud that she couldn't think about anything. On the back of his bike it seemed like time stood still and everything disappeared from her mind. Everything, even the unexpected re-appearance of her older brother in her life. Steven... damn him for coming to her sanctuary, her place, and disturbing everything she had managed to build in such a short time. Her old life had being placed in a memory trunk and buried somewhere she didn't want to go back to. But him coming back and showing interest in her, caring about her like no one on her family had before had definitely stroke a cord.  
  
She knew she was a cynic, a seventeen year old cynic and that sadden her. She wasn't suppose to be like that. She was suppose to be a hopeful, happy and trusting young woman. At least that is what her grandmother wanted her to be. But she was gone and with her all of her willingness to be a happy- go- lucky teenage girl. And Steven was here, wanting to be a part of her life. What if his intentions were honest? What if he did wanted to heal old wounds and start again? Why did life had to be so difficult?  
  
Jason stood next to the bike and watched her go through emotions without moving from her place. She was standing there biting her bottom lip and playing with the hem of her red mesh shirt. So many different emotions passed through her face that he couldn't really make out what she was thinking. He distinguished uncertainty, sadness and confusion shining in her blue eyes. He wasn't sure if he should speak to her, bring her out of her thoughts, but he hated seeing her like that and not being able to help her.  
  
That thought should have taken him by surprise. But it didn't, and that fact didn't surprised him either. Somehow he knew that the girl standing in front of him had become a permanent part of his life. And that thought scared him. He shook his head and took his leather gloves off his hands.  
  
Jason looked up to find Elizabeth looking at him. "What?"  
  
"I asked first."  
  
"I know, but I didn't really got the question."  
  
"You were staring at me. Never mind. You were somewhere far away."  
  
"No I wasn't. I was standing right here."  
  
"What I mean is that you were inside your own thoughts."  
  
"It was nothing. You were distracted too."  
  
"Yeah, well there's a lot of things going on right now."  
  
"Want to talk about it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"OK."  
  
"Do you want to go for a walk along the shore?"  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Jason and Elizabeth walked side by side for half an hour before she decided to speak. She needed to speak. And she knew he would listen to her.  
  
"My brother came home two days ago." She waited for him to say something. But somehow she knew he wouldn't utter a word until she was finished. "I hadn't seeing him since my grandmother's funeral. I think that was the last time the Webber Family was together in the same room. Not that I miss it, 'cause let me tell you those people are vultures. Sometimes I think I'm adopted. I know I'm not a saint, but compared to them I should be wearing a halo. God listen to me! I sound like a spoil brat."  
  
Jason looked at her and she looked back. Without words she knew that he was trying to reassure her. With him she was allowed to speak her mind. She stopped talking and decided to sit down on the sand. He followed her lead and sat by her side.  
  
"I'm the youngest of the Webber kids. Steven is the oldest. He followed my father footsteps all the way to medical school and back. Like father like son. Then comes my sister Sarah. Straight A student, virtuous, polite, popular and beautiful. My mother is most proud of her. She is every bit my mother's daughter. And then there's me. The black sheep of the family. The mistake that cost my father the most important job of his life. He's a doctor and they offered him a fellowship in Russia that would've given him the opportunity to showcase his abilities and earned him the head surgical position in very prestigious hospital in Europe. But he had to give it up because of me."  
  
"Did he say that?"  
  
"Not in so many words. But believe me, they made it clear in every way imaginable. I wasn't as polite and virtuous as Sarah or as smart as Steven. I was just your average kid. But that wasn't what a Webber kid was suppose to be like, so every chance they got they would pack up and leave, leaving me behind with the sitters and the help. I wanted to be noticed so I started acting out. I started hanging out with older kids and started smoking, drinking and partying."  
  
Jason looked at her and so the unshed tears shining on her eyes. "My grandmother was a nurse in New York. But after my grand father passed out she decided to take an early retirement. Or at least that's what we all thought. She moved back to Colorado and found everything that was going on with me. She decided that if my parents weren't willing to take care of me she would. She packed all my stuff and we moved to her house in the mountains. Her name was Audrey Hardy. She loved painting. She was the one who taught me, when I was young. Every time we went to visit her she would take me to her studio and we spent hours drawing and finger painting. She always sent me coloring books and water colors and sketch books, carbons. I loved her so much. She understood me. She never judge me, she just loved me unconditionally. Do you know what's that like? To have someone to believe in you and give you their heart no questions asked?"  
  
She turned to watch him and he found her eyes full of tears. He moved his head up and down in a small motion, almost undistinguishable.  
  
"Michael did that for me. But that wasn't the same. He didn't know better."  
  
"Don't do that. Don't sell yourself short. He did know. You are his father."  
  
"I was his father. Not anymore. But Lila, she does love me unconditionally. She never asks questions or tries to make me remember who I used to be. After my accident... you know about my accident don't you?"  
  
"You told me something about that the other day and Robin also said something to me once."  
  
"The man I used to be is gone. The Quatermaines didn't seem to understand it. They wanted me to go back to what he was, but not Lila. She wanted to know me and she got to love me for who I am."  
  
"Those are the grandmothers for you. Pure an untainted love. Grams died before I could tell her how much I loved her."  
  
"I'm sure she knew."  
  
"But I never told her. She wasn't taking an early retirement. She came back home to die. She had cancer. When she passed she left me all alone. She was the one person who ever made me care for life. She was pure energy, she made me see the point of fighting for what I wanted. And just like that she was gone. What is the point of fighting when the only person who cared was gone?"  
  
"You can't live for others. You have to live just for you."  
  
"Yeah, I know that now. Thanks to you."  
  
"I didn't do anything."  
  
"Yes you did. You came out of the blue and joined me on this journey down a road to nowhere. But, you want to know something?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm not there anymore. I think I found my way back somewhere."  
  
"I know. I think we are going somewhere too."  
  
"Anyhow, the point to all this discourse is that Steven is back. After years of purposely avoiding me he's back and he says he wants to heal old wounds and start over."  
  
"What's wrong with that?"  
  
"I don't think I believe him. He's not a bad person, but he's not a well of good and best wishes either. Something seems off to me."  
  
"You think he has a hidden agenda or something?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I've being watching too many suspense movies."  
  
"You should trust your instincts."  
  
"Sometimes my sixth sense is right on the money, but other times it just fails miserably. It happened with you."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"When I met you I thought you were a bastard."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You were so arrogant and so macho. Robin had to do what you said when you said it no question asked."  
  
"Things weren't like that. Is that what she said to you?"  
  
"She didn't have to. I was there in the cliff and then in the hotel the next day. I heard you two talking."  
  
"I didn't know you were there. I was just... there's things about my life you don't know. I live a dangerous lifestyle and Robin couldn't accept that."  
  
"She didn't care about your lifestyle."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that she was just scared about your well being."  
  
"Did she tell you that?"  
  
"Yes. And I kinda understand what she meant. I can only imagine the kind of fear she had to live with. Thinking that every time you left, there was a chance of you not coming back."  
  
Jason turned his face to see her. He was speechless and his face was one of pure shock. He wasn't one to show his feelings but this took him completely by surprise. "What else did she tell you?"  
  
"She didn't tell me anything. Well she neither confirmed nor denied. But after what happened today, I don't need anymore confirmation. You are in the mob aren't you?"  
  
"I..." He was speechless.  
  
"You don't have to answer me. I figured as much. You're business trips, you're late night calls, always murmuring when you're on the phone. You have a gun. I don't think that a casino owner has to go around with a gun."  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"You take me on bike rides, Jason. The other day you had your gun in the small of your back."  
  
"Damn it! Look Elizabeth I understand if you..."  
  
"If I what? Don't want to be your friend anymore? Don't be silly. I don't care about what you do for a living. But I do care if your life is in danger."  
  
"Elizabeth this is not something we should be talking about out here. Why don't I take you home and we talk tomorrow after you get out of school?"  
  
"I didn't mean to..."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I just- it just took me by surprise. Let's go. I'll take you home."  
  
He stood up and Elizabeth followed him. This didn't go as plan for neither of them. So neither of them spoke about it in the ride home.  
  
Elizabeth slid of the bike and gave the helmet to Jason. "I'll pick you up tomorrow after school."  
  
"OK. Are you mad?" She asked as she bit her bottom lip in worry.  
  
"I'm not mad. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Sleep well."  
  
"Be careful." He nodded and took of on the bike. She stood there and watched him speed away. But she wasn't the only one watching him. From the window, Steven had being witnessing every move.


	10. A Plan in Motion

**Chapter 10: A Plan in Motion  
**  
Steven walked to the kitchen thinking about his next move. He had to do something soon or their plans were going to backfire. After seeing Elizabeth with the motorcycle boy last night he had to move up a step ahead and find everything he could about his sister's involvement with the man that had brought her home. He stopped short from the swinging door that divided the kitchen from the dinning room, when he heard Elizabeth's voice.  
  
"He's coming for me today, after school." Elizabeth's voice trailed out of the room to Steven's ears.  
  
"Remember you have the final session with the support group today."  
  
"How could I forget? They've helped me a lot, even if I didn't acknowledge it before."  
  
"I'm so proud of you Elizabeth. You've deal with this situation very maturely."  
  
"I had a lot of help. You and Manuel had being my family for two years. Meeting Jason has being a blessing. He's done so many things for me that I can't even start to name. I don't know what I would have done without him."  
  
"We owe him a lot. If he hadn't found you that night..."  
  
"But he did, Grace. Let's not go there, please."  
  
"I'm sorry." The older woman stood from her place at the table and retrieved Elizabeth's empty plate.  
  
Elizabeth stood up and wrapped her arms around the older woman's shoulders. "Don't be, I know what you mean. I love you Grace."  
  
"I love you too child. Now go grab your books or you'll be late."  
  
"When is this torture going to be over?"  
  
"Just two more weeks and it will be over."  
  
"Amen to that!" Elizabeth drank the rest of her orange juice. "I'll go brush my teeth. Tell Manuel I'll be down there in a minute." She walked to the door and stopped when Grace spoke again.  
  
"Be careful today. I can believe you enjoy riding on that machine. I'm going to have to have a talk with Mr. Morgan about that."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Grace. Ridding on the back of a motorcycle is like flying without wings. You feel free and alive." Elizabeth's eyes drifted shot and a smile appeared on her face as she remembered her bike rides with Jason Morgan.  
  
"Earth to Elizabeth."  
  
"What?" She shook the memories away and stared at the older woman.  
  
"Get a move on or you'll be closed up in detention all afternoon instead of feeling the wind in Jason's bike."  
  
"See you later." Elizabeth said with a big smile on her lips. With that she ran out of the room.  
  
Steven was standing behind the door, but Elizabeth didn't notice him as she ran past him and up the stairs. Jason Morgan, Steven thought. Today might not work out as Elizabeth planned it would after all. He'll have to make a few phone calls and arrange a few things for his little sister. It was about time he and the little brat have some alone time.

Elizabeth couldn't contain herself any longer. The anticipation of seeing Jason and going on a ride with him was driving her nuts. She spent all day daydreaming about the wind rushing pass her and that feeling on the pit of her stomach every time she rode on the bike. When the last bell rang, Elizabeth ran out of the classroom and through the gardens of the school and straight to the gates. With a big smile on her face she made her way to the street. She heard her name being called and turned, but Jason wasn't there. Instead of finding his Harley and leather jacket, she found a red Mercedes and a pair of kaki pants and oxford shirt.  
  
Her smile disappeared and a confuse stare appeared on her face. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Surprise."  
  
"Answer my question, Steven."  
  
"I had the day off and I wanted to take you to a late lunch. We haven't really spent time together and I thought it would be nice."  
  
"Well you thought wrong. I have plans." Elizabeth turned and started looking around for Jason but she didn't see him anywhere.  
  
Steven put his hands on her shoulder. "Elizabeth."  
  
She shrugged his hand off and took a step away. She kept her gaze on the people on the streets and the cars picking girls up. Steven held back his desire to slap her silly and make her look at him and tried again. "Elizabeth, he's not coming."  
  
If something was to get her attention that was it. She turned and faced her brother. "What?"  
  
"Your friend isn't coming. He left a message at the house. Something more important came up and he won't make it in time."  
  
His choice of words made her flinch. Something more important came up... Jason wouldn't leave a message with Steven of all people. She had a bad feeling about this. "You talked to Jason?"  
  
"No, Grace did."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
He took his cell phone out. "Do you want to call her and talk to her yourself?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Elizabeth took the phone and moved from Steven's earshot. The older man looked around and was almost praying for his plan to work. If this Jason Morgan guy showed up his whole plan will collapse. Elizabeth's voice brought his attention back.  
  
"No one answered."  
  
"Well I guess you'll have to believe me then. Come on Lizzie, I'm making and effort here. Come with me."  
  
Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously and looked around again. She had no other choice. If Jason wasn't coming for her she had no other way of getting to the hospital. She looked back at Steven and nodded. "Let's go."

Jason cursed again. Was there a world rule book on police conduct? He laughed at himself, probably. He's had the displeasure of meeting cops from about 10 countries and they all acted the same way, like snobby- know it all- I have the power in my hands- jerks. He shook his head and looked back at the police officer who was in the middle of verifying his license for the fifth time. Jason was considering on ridding from the cop, when the tall and thin man made his way to him once again.  
  
"Well? Am I free to go or are you going to take me in?"  
  
"Señor Morgan, I don't appreciate your actitud." The older man said in a thick Spanish accent.  
  
"I don't I appreciate being pulled over and waste 20 minutes of my life for nothing so I guess we're even."  
  
"You should be more careful next time. This is a verry, how you say, ah yes, dangerous road."  
  
"Can I go now?" Jason was exasperated. He was running late and now he'll have to break every transit law in the country to get to Elizabeth.  
  
"Yes. Have a nice day Señor Morgan." The older man nodded and took a step back from Jason's bike.  
  
Jason turned on the bike and looked back at the cop. "Are you going to give me back my license or what?"  
  
"Ah, sí. Sorry, I just forget." He was going to give Jason his license and it fell to the floor. "Oops. Let me get that."  
  
Jason was loosing his control, if the clown kept stalling him he'll have to beat the crap out of him. The policeman picked up the license and gave Jason an apologetic smile. Jason took the card out of the man's hand and put it on his back pocket.  
  
"Drive safe."  
  
Jason didn't respond he just drove off without looking back. The policeman walked to his car and smiled.

She was sitting inside a fancy restaurant and felt completely out of place, she didn't fit in this place at all. She'd preferred to have some fast food over a shrimp cocktail and sirloin steak any day. Steven had excused himself after his cell phone rang a few minutes before, and Elizabeth welcomed the space. He'd being hovering over her all afternoon. He was trying too hard and she just couldn't let herself believe his intentions were good. There was something about him that she just didn't like and that made her feel awful. Why couldn't she just accept that her brother wanted to know her and reconnect? Because it was too good to be true, that's why. She kept playing with her food until Steven made his way to the table.  
  
"So, how's the food? Do you like it? A friend at work recommended this place highly. The chef is like contemporary or something and he uses local products and mixes local and international cuisine."  
  
"It's good."  
  
"I knew you'll like it. When we finish, I want to take you to Old San Juan. I haven't being since I came home. You'll love all the galleries and museums, there's a lot of historic buildings and small plazas that will inspire any artist."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Oh, so you've been there. It's beautiful isn't it? Did you go with your friends from school?"  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Did you go with that Jason guy? Is he your boyfriend or something?"  
  
Elizabeth choked on a shrimp at his question. Jason, her boyfriend? Yeah and she'd just died and gone to heaven. Whoa Elizabeth where did that came from?  
  
"Are you okay?" Steven had seen her turn every shade of red imaginable at his question.  
  
"Yeah, I just didn't chew well that little sucker." She dropped her napkin and took a long gulp of water. "I'm okay."  
  
Steven was silent for a moment and she thanked God he had forgotten his questions. But that was not the case at all.  
  
"Are you going to answer my question? Are you and Jason Morgan together?"  
  
"No. Why would you ask that?" Her answer was fast, a little too fast.  
  
"Is just that I saw you with him last night and you obviously had plans with him today. I was just curious, that's all."  
  
"Jason and I are just friends, really good friends. He helped me during a difficult time. Plus he's the ex of my best friend."  
  
"Best friend? Who is she? I haven't seen anyone around the house. Is she a classmate?"  
  
"Robin lives in Paris. She's in college."  
  
"So is a pen pal kind of friendship." "You could say that. Look Steven thanks for the late lunch and everything but I have to go. I have an appointment at four o'clock."  
  
"Okay. I'll just go pay the check. Elizabeth, I'm glad we did this."  
  
She looked at him, who was smiling at her, and felt bad for not believing a word he said. "Me too, Steven."  
  
It was almost four o'clock when Jason walked in the office. Marcos and Francis where working on some new leads and where both surprised to see him there.  
  
"Jason? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I work here."  
  
"You said you had plans. What happened?" Francis was standing besides Jason.  
  
"I got pulled over by a cop. He stalled me for almost half an hour. When I got to the school, Elizabeth was gone."  
  
"What do you mean gone?" Marcos was genuinely worried.  
  
"She wasn't there. One of the nuns said that a young man had come for her."  
  
"You don't think Tony..."  
  
"Don't even finish that thought. My guess is that it was her brother."  
  
"So she has a family. I thought you said she was abandoned by her filthy rich family."  
  
"Her brother came home after they got the news of her attack. She's been uneasy about him; we talked about it last night. I'm worried. It's not like her to just leave without leaving me a message or something."  
  
"She has her group session today, right."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'll call Barbara and ask her to drop by to see if Elizabeth made it."  
  
"You think she'll do it?"  
  
"After what happened yesterday, she wanted to talk to Elizabeth anyway."

Elizabeth walked inside the room and took a sit on her usual place. The meeting was almost over before she gathered enough courage to speak. She had been going to the group session for four weeks and it had helped her deeply to listen to what all of these women had to say, but she never dared to speak until now. For some reason she felt strong and in control of her life. She now knew that what happened to her wasn't her fault and that she wasn't about to start leaving in fear.  
  
After the meeting was over there was a small gathering, where all of the women came to Elizabeth and gave her their support and comforting words. Dr. Gónzalez was very proud of Elizabeth's quick recovery and turn around. And she made sure to let her know. When Elizabeth was about to leave, Barbara Díaz walked in the room.  
  
"Elizabeth. How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm fine. You?"  
  
"Good. Do you have a minute?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
They walked to a corner and made sure that no one was looking or eavesdropping.  
  
"I wanted to know if you were okay with what happened yesterday."  
  
"Oh, that! Yes, Jason explained about it afterwards. I was just more embarrassed than anything else."  
  
"It's just that Johnny and Francis can be a little overwhelming. You know their brooding good looks and charm." The sarcastic tone wasn't lost on Elizabeth.  
  
"Everything is okay, really."  
  
"Good. But I just wanted to make sure you understand that Jason's life is a bit different and that things like that may happen every now and then."  
  
"I know that Jason's life has its particulars. But I think I can deal with it just fine."  
  
"I'm sure you can. But believe me honey there are things that you want to stay clear off."  
  
Elizabeth eyed the older woman and realized that she knew. After making sure that no one was near them, Elizabeth took a chance. "Like the mob part of his business?"  
  
Barbara's eyes widen. "Did he tell you about that?"  
  
"Not really. But he was about to ask me to stay away from him and scare me of with how dangerous it can be around him. I've seen his gun and the guys outside of his office didn't look like bartenders."  
  
"Okay so you know what they do, what do you think about it?"  
  
"I don't commend violence, but I got to know Jason before I knew about his job description. I know he's a good person, caring and loyal. I want him in my life and I want to be in his. So I just won't think about it at all unless he gets hurts."  
  
"You really care about him."  
  
"He has helped me when he didn't have too and he listened to me when no one else had. Yeah I care about him."  
  
"He cares about you too. I'm glad you guys are friends he needs someone like you around."  
  
"What do you mean like me?"  
  
"Some one that makes him happy and that doesn't judge him and that supports him."  
  
"Well I'll be glad to take that job, if he takes me on bike rides."  
  
"You like that thing?" Barbara was surprise at the girl's request.  
  
"I love it." Elizabeth's eyes sparkled and she smiled.  
  
"God help me. You two are more alike than what I thought." Both of them laughed.

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapters. Please leave feedback, it helps with the muse._


	11. Turnarounds

**Chapter 11: Turnarounds**

Her head was about to explode. If she had to read one more chapter about Shakespeare's life or his use of iambic pentameter verse, she was going to scream. Elizabeth was sitting on the floor of her room, books, papers, her laptop and encyclopedias scattered around her, drowning her personal space. She was typing her final paper due on Friday, but things weren't looking up...

"William Shakespeare, British poet and playwright, is considered the greatest writer in world literature." As the black cursor blinked she tried to relax her muscles, but it wasn't working. She just had that one sentence of a 10 page essay. "Who cares about dear William Shakespeare's life? I enjoy reading his plays, but I don't need to know that he married at age 18 or that he lived as a country gentleman until his death in 1616. This is crap! I'd rather read his 154 sonnets."

The man standing at her door moved a couple of feet inside and startled her when he talked. "Unfortunately your last essay is not about his actual work but about his life. So you'll have to do a lot more than one opening sentence."

Elizabeth was looking at him with wide eyes and an exasperated sigh left her lips. Her hand was on her chest. "You scared the shi..."

"Watch the language." The tall man sat in the edge of her bed as he talked.

"How many times have I told you to knock first? I don't appreciate being interrupted like this."

"Come on Lizzie, your door was ajar. I was worried about you. I've hardly seeing you the last two weeks."

"I've been studying."

"Yes, Grace has said as much. I just missed you at the dinner table these last few days. Did you get the new paint brush set I bought you?"

"They are way to expensive, you shouldn't have. The wood box was excessive too. I was doing just fine with mine. You didn't have to buy me anything."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. And besides, your graduation is just around the corner take them as an early gift."

"You still shouldn't have."

"It's done, so there's no point on arguing about it anymore." Steven was about to lose control and that wasn't part of the plan. He had to play the concerned brother for a few more weeks.

Elizabeth was making some notes on a paper and had blocked out her brother when he decided to talk again.

"Is everything okay, between you and your friend?"

"Your still here." She said nonchalantly.

"Obviously, I am."

"What did you say about my friend? I'm trying to concentrate here."

"I asked you about, what's his name? Morgan? I haven't seeing him around much lately."

"Jason is a very busy man. And contrary to others, he actually listens when I tell him I'm busy studying and doing school work."

Steven stood up and walked to the door, trying to even out his temper before speaking again. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, Elizabeth. Excuse me for worrying about you and wanting to know about your life." He turned and was half way to the hallway, but he turned and stomped back in to Elizabeth's room. She looked up to find a very distraught Steven. "You know what? I'm not sorry. You've always being crying to everyone about how we ignored you and never cared, but the minute I walked trough the doors wanting to be the brother that I failed to be all those years ago, what to you do? You act like a total bitch. You ignore me and you criticize every decision that I made. You question my motifs and you dismiss me like I'm not worthy. But this was the last time. If you want to be a bitter and jaded human being, be my guest. I tried, so next time you get the urge to cry on someone's shoulder about the big and bad Webber's, remember that I made an effort to fix this for you and you never gave me a chance."

After the outburst Steven walked out of the room, his face red with rage. Elizabeth was still sitting on the floor looking astonished after her brother. She couldn't speak she couldn't even blink back the tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Then a sob escaped her throat as Grace made her way into her room.

"Are you okay child? I heard him almost yelling and I came as fast as I could. Did he hurt you?"

Elizabeth could just move her head from side to side. Grace knelt beside Elizabeth and took her face between her hands and made her look at her. "Are you okay?"

It was then that Elizabeth's voice found a way to her throat. "What have I done?"

_**xxxx**_

Jason, Francis and Quincy were staking out a place called _Gallo Ronco_, a rundown bar, sitting deep on the mountains of Adjuntas, a small town in the south of the Island. But Jason's mind was elsewhere. His last talk with Elizabeth had left him thinking about what happened the day he failed to show up to pick her up after school.

"_Look I understand, you had work to do. You don't have to apologize to me. At least you were decent enough to call my home and notifying Grace that you wouldn't be able to make it. The only thing that I do regret is that we didn't get to go on a ride and on top of that I had to spend all afternoon with Steven."_

"_So Grace told you that I called her?"_

"_Not exactly, Steven did. But enough of that already, I saw Barbara at the group section the other day. She was happy that I was doing so well. She said that our friendship seemed to be special and that it helped to have you around." _

_There was a long silence on the line, so she spoke again. "She's right you know. Your friendship has being the best thing that has ever happened to me."_

"_Things are not that simple Elizabeth. We still have a lot to talk about."_

"_You mean about your bus..."_

_He spoke before she was able to finish her thought. "Yes, about that part of my life. There's things you can't know about and things get dangerous sometimes. Like right know."_

"_What do you mean? Are you in trouble?"_

"_No. Not yet. But I do have to o away for business again. You'll have to promise me, that you'll be careful and that if you see something strange you'll call me okay."_

"_What do you mean something strange?"_

"_Look Elizabeth, people have seen us together. They know you're my friend and sometimes they use the people we care about as leverage. I'm not saying you're a target, but we have to be careful. If you see someone suspicious around you, you have to tell me immediately." _

"_I trust you Jason. But you have to promise me, that you'll be careful."_

"_I will."_

"_See you later."_

"_You too." _

Someone had called saying he wouldn't make it on time to pick her up. He sure as hell didn't call, and he knew that neither Francis, nor Marcos did either. There was just one explanation; someone didn't want him to meet with Elizabeth and whoever it was had gone to great lengths to make sure he didn't. He remembered the police patrol that came out of nowhere to stop him and stalled him for almost half an hour. But who was it? Was it Steven or someone else?

A voice broke down into his thoughts and pulled him back to reality. They were sitting inside a black Durango around the curve from the _Gallo Ronco._ Francis was sitting on the driving seat beside Jason. "Johnny is in position. The two older men are already inside."

"Lets keep an eye on them, they are our bugs. Quincy, it's your turn."

"I'm on my way boss." The younger guard was dressed as a homeless and was about to patrol the back parking lot. If the two older guys were the carriers they would think that Johnny was their gofer and they would give him the information, before the real one got there.

They were all in position when a blue Saturn made its way to the back parking lot of the bar. Johnny moved in to the table were the two older men where sitting. Quincy was in position when three men dressed in jeans and black t-shirts made their way out of the car. The driver stayed inside the car, while the other three made their way to the back door of the _Gallo Ronco. _

"Oh no you don't." Francis opened his microphone and directed Quincy. "They are yours Q."

"I'm going with him, his out number back there." Jason tucked his gun in the waistband of his black jean, the black leather jacket hiding it from view. Slowly he made his way to the back of the bar, careful not to be seeing by the patrons inside.

Quincy had made his way to the door first and was now blocking the way of the three other men.

"Salte del medio." (Move from the way.)

"Me puede ayudar?" (Could you help me?) Quincy extended his hand and asked for money again.

"I can watch your car for you." He tried in English when the other three men didn't answer.

"No thank you. Some one is watching it already. Now move."

"I just need a dollar and I can buy a quart of rum. Come on. Por favor." (Please.)

One of the three men reached his back pocket and Quincy took a step back. The taller of the men stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for 'un peso'." (A dollar) The young man reached his back pocket and the third one stopped him again.

"Dejalo." (Forget it.) Then he moved closer to Quincy. "You'll move or I'll move you. Is that understood?" He lifted his shirt and showed his shinny new toy. The 9 mm shone in the moon's light.

Jason was watching from his post and realized that the driver was now out of the car and a couple of feet away. He took the opportunity to step closer to the car and managed to take his knife and punch the two left wheels of the car.

Quincy was still talking with the four of them, when he got the okay from Francis. Johnny was out. He just had to take Quincy and they'll be on their way.

"Is okay, my friend there's no need for that. I just wanted some of the good elixir, you know. Something to ease the pain... but if you don't have money to spare that's okay with me. I'll just be going now."

Quincy tried to step out but one of them moved a step in front of him. The driver took a step closer to the group and asked. "Is everything alright?"

The tallest of the three took some money from his side pocket and gave it to Quincy and then answered without turning around. "It's good. Go back to the car, Wilson."

Jason took a couple steps around the dumpster and waited for Quincy. He took the money and thanked the group. "Gracias, man. Thanks."

"I don't want to see you around when we go inside."

"No problem, dude. I'll be out of your hair as soon as you go inside." He took a step around them and made his way out of the parking lot. The three men didn't even glance his way and walked trough the door.

Jason walked out of the darkness and followed Quincy. "Move it, Johnny is out we have to get out of here. You scared me there for a moment."

"Yeah, well they scared me for a moment too. Look I got a five." He waved the five dollar bill at Jason. "Who would've thought that those lowlifes had a conscience?"

"Not me. Move it before they see us."

Francis had the car around and waited for them to get in, before slamming the gas and driving out of there.

_**xxxx**_

Steven was in the study going through Jason Morgan's file once again. He hoped that he wasn't making a mistake. They shouldn't be getting in trouble with this kind of people, not even for the amount of money at stake. How good could the money be if he was dead? Even though Morgan was not convicted of anything, he had being linked to the East Cost Mob Lord Sonny Corinthos, and that was more than enough trouble in itself. The fact that this man had some sort of interest on his little sister made it a risk he wasn't about to take. But if he had help, someone with enough motivation and working in the same business as Morgan he'll never be suspected of anything. He closed the file and took the phone, but when he was about to punch in the number there was a slow knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Can I speak with you or am I interrupting?"

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. Elizabeth was in the study asking for him. It had been three days since his little scene and he had doubted it had worked at all. He dropped the phone and sat back on his leather chair.

"No, not at all. What do you want now? I've been staying out of your way, what is it? Is my cologne stinking up the house or something?"

Elizabeth winced at his tone. "I deserved that. But I'm not here to fight with you. I wanted to say I was sorry about the other day."

He bit his tongue to keep from smiling. It had worked. She was coming around. He cleared his throat. "You're sorry?"

"Look, I know I haven't been a ray of sunshine, but you have to understand. It is really hard to believe that out of the blue someone from my family comes to my home and proclaim his intention of wanting to mend old wounds and reconnect."

"Look Elizabeth, we've been trough this already. I already told you I won't make another attempt at actually caring. You've made it clear you don't care anymore and I can't blame you. I know how difficult it's being from you since Grams died."

"It has being really hard. And I've had to be alone for a really long time, but now you're here and if you still want to try this brother and sister bonding thing... I can try."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm willing to give you a chance. And to prove it... here." She took a ticket from her pocket and left it on the desk.

"What's this?"

"It's for my graduation ceremony. It's going to be this Wednesday at 6 o'clock."

"You want me to come to your graduation ceremony?"

"Yes. Take it as a peace offering and we can take it from there."

He took the ticket and stared for a minute. Then he looked back at her. "Thank you, Lizzie. This means a lot to me."

"Even though it didn't seem like it, the fact that you're making an effort means a lot to me too."

_**xxxx**_

Jason and Francis made their way into the seaside mansion. The lights were turned off and it was quiet. They dropped the bags on the foyer and walked to the living room.

"It seems like Teresa went to sleep early." Francis made his way to the bar and made himself a drink. "Do you want something to drink?"

"You seem pretty comfortable moving around Francis. Maybe it slipped your mind that this is my house." Jason was standing in the middle of the room with his arms over his chest watching the older guard move around.

"Come on Jason, is not as if you actually live in this house. You spend most of your time at the casino, on business or out with Elizabeth." He walked back to were Jason was standing drink in hand.

"And your point is?"

"Nothing man. It's just that you wouldn't even realize a change even if it comes and bite you in the ass. You should take better care of your things."

"This is just a house. I would've been fine renting a room or sleeping at the Hotel and Casino."

"Johnny is a lucky dog. I can't believe you gave him a Penthouse suite at the hotel."

"He deserved it. He did a good job in Dead man's drop, and besides Elizabeth already forgave him."

"So while he sleeps his ass off what are we going to do? We need to figure out if the info that we got from the two dudes down in _Gallo Ronco_ has a tail."

"For now we wait. We still need to see what Benny has so far from Port Charles. But I do need a favor from you."

"Anything man. What's up?"

"I'm still not sure, but something is definitely up. I need you to look up everything you can find on Steven Webber and his family."

"Steven Webber? As in Elizabeth's brother?"

"Yes. Do you remember the day the cops pulled me over and I was late to pick her up and when I got there she had already left?"

"I remember."

"I talked to her the other day, to explain and she said it was alright because I had already called to say I wasn't going to be able to make it."

"But you didn't know you were going to be late, why would you call?"

"I didn't, but someone did."

"How would someone know that you wouldn't make it, if no one knew you were going to be pulled up by the cops?"

"Unless some one did know."

"And you think Steven Webber had something to do with that."

"The only other suspect is Tony Morales."

"We got info on the Morales boys and they are dealing in Miami, so he's out."

"Right."

"Okay, man I'll get on that first thing tomorrow." Francis finished his drink and left the glass on the glass table. It was then when he found the white envelope addressed to Jason. "Hey, you've got mail."

"From who?"

"I don't know it just says Jason Morgan." Francis took the envelope and gave it to Jason.

Jason took the envelope and opened it. There was just a 3' by 5' white card. It was then that he saw the typed sentence...

_Stay away from Elizabeth Webber or you will regret ever meeting her._

Jason's face was unreadable and before Francis could react they heard a splash from the pool out side. They both turned and faced the glass doors.

"What was that?"

Jason dropped the card on the table and took his gun out. "Let's go."

Francis followed him, with his gun drawn too. Jason made sure not to make a sound as he walked outside to the poolside. A light illuminated the back gazebo and they saw the shadow coming out of the pool. They stood on the side of the pool and pointed their guns at the figure that was emerging from the water.

"Freeze." Jason yelled his voice stone cold.

"Don't try anything or we'll shoot."

The person took a tentative step to the side where the light from the gazebo shone of his skin and put his hands up, slowly turning to face them. Jason and Francis were both shocked when they realized it was a woman, a very naked woman, to be exact.

"Don't shoot. I can explain everything."


	12. New allies and old foes

**Chapter 12: New allies and past foes **

It was a hot night. But the sight of the tall sun kissed-skin, dark hair beauty, dressed in a thin sundress that hung to her still wet body was making him sweat even more than the heat of the night.

Francis was standing by the door of Jason's office, his eyes stuck on her back and the nice curve of her bottom. The woman they found skinny dipping on the pool was now standing in the middle of the room with an amused look on her face. Trying to move his attention away from the woman and back to his boss, the guard tried to make out Jason's expression. The young man was fuming mad and was speaking slow to the telephone. Soon he had replaced the auricular to its place and was staring back at the woman.

"Did she tell you who I was?"

"Yes, she did."

"I told you I was saying the truth."

"Yes well, I don't make a habit of believing everything a naked trespasser has to say."

"I'm not a trespasser. I already told you I've been living here for more than three weeks. My grandmother explained that to you already. You can even ask your girlfriend."

"My what?" Jason's eyes where burning with fire.

"You know the girl that came here looking for you a couple of weeks ago. Melissa, Elisa or something like that, she saw me."

"Elizabeth saw you?"

"Yes. She came looking for you one morning. My grandma Teresa told her I was staying here for a while and not to say anything because you might get mad."

"Damn right I would. This is my house and if Teresa wanted to bring a guest she should have asked first."

"My grandma was scared you'd say no. And besides, I wasn't going to stay long, but now my grandfather got sick and she needed to go back home. I'm assuming you still need someone to cook and clean and take care of the place. If you don't I'll be glad to leave. Believe me this is not my idea of a nice summer vacation either."

Francis tried to hold onto his laughter but failed miserably and his snicker was picked up by Jason loud and clear. Jason shot him one of his trademark intimidating glances, but Francis just smiled back. The woman standing in front of him had a sharp tongue and some guts to stand there and berate at the man that not even 20 minutes earlier had being holding a gun at her.

Throwing her arms up and with a desperate sigh the woman spoke then. "Forget it! I'll go grab my stuff and I'll be out of your house in no time. I don't have to take any abuse from you."

Jason was still looking at her through hooded eyes, arms crossed and lips thin. "Are you for real?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I found you skinny dipping on my pool. You tell me that you've being living in my house for more than three weeks and I didn't know about it, and you tell me you're not taking anymore abuse from me? You have some nerve lady."

"Eva, my name is Eva Cruz. Now what are you going to do? Are you going to throw me out?"

"No, I'm not. You can stay. But I'm going to be inspecting your work, so thread on the safe side."

Francis could tell that Jason was waiting for the girl to say thank you and jump of happiness, but Eva just nodded and turned around. Head held up high, those beautiful caramel color eyes shining, she walked pass him and out of the office.

After the door closed behind her, Francis took a step forward. "That was interesting."

"This is the last thing I needed, one more complication that was not on my plans."

"Why is a beautiful Puerto Rican woman a complication?"

"Oh no, she's not the complication. The complications are that mouth of hers..."

Francis smiled and looked back at the door, she had disappeared through. And when he brought his eyes back at Jason he was scowling. "...And that silly grin you've had on ever since you saw her turn around."

_**-Wednesday June 15, 1998-**_

This was it, Elizabeth thought as she stared at the image reflected in the full length mirror. Her graduation day. Why was she feeling sad and nostalgic all of the sudden? When she came to live here, she hated the place. What the heck, she hated herself. But for some strange reason, standing there a couple of hours away from saying goodbye to her peers and teachers, she knew she was going to miss them.

She smoothed her hands down her knee length black dress and sighed. This is it, she thought again. The end of her childhood and the beginning of a new life. Where? With whom? Doing what? That she didn't know, but was sure that her future held better things than her troubled past.

The knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts and as she turned and asked her guest to come in she found herself face to face with Grace. She was wearing a nice silk skirt and blouse that Elizabeth had bought for her. The older woman was smiling and her happiness was contagious, Elizabeth smiled back.

"You look beautiful." Grace made her way up to where Elizabeth was standing and ran her hand over her now straight brown locks.

"Well look at you, Mrs. I-don't-like-wearing-fancy-clothes-it's-not-my-thing. Jade is definitely your color."

"Don't start with that. My feet are already killing me and I just finished putting them on."

Elizabeth smiled looking down at Grace's feet. Her black sensible shoes forgotten, she was now wearing a pair of jade color pumps with a half inch heel. She then looked back to her own feet, in contrast she was wearing black pumps with a small opening to reveal what the store clerk called 'toe cleavage' and two inch heels. With a smile she turned to face the mirror again and ran her hand over her ears.

"I haven't found a suitable pair of earrings to wear."

"It's a good thing I come baring gifts then." Grace walked behind Elizabeth, who frowned at the reflection of the older woman in the mirror.

"What do you mean?" Then she saw the small velvet box in Grace's hand. She turned to face the woman that was like her mother with her eyes all watery. "No. Grace, you didn't have to buy me anything."

"I didn't. Here open it."

"But..."

"Take it, child."

Elizabeth took the box reluctantly and when she opened it she gasped in surprise. A pair of diamond earrings where shinning inside.

"Oh my..." The older woman smiled at the girl's reaction.

"I take it, you like them?"

"Like them? They are beautiful." Elizabeth looked up to the woman standing in front of her and the tears where evident in her blue eyes. "I- I can't accept this. They are way too expensive."

"My mother gave them to me on my graduation day. I was going to give them to my daughter on her graduation. But I wasn't able to have children. Do you remember the day you came here?" Elizabeth just nodded, unable to talk because of the big knot on her throat. "You were so young. I couldn't imagine how a mother could ever abandon a child with not even a call for almost three years. I can't have babies of my own and for some reason I still don't understand God gave me a chance to take care of you. I love you so much child. And I'm so proud of you. You are a fighter, Elizabeth. Don't let anybody tell you different. And even though you are not my own daughter, I still want you to have them, because I love you as I would my own."

Elizabeth's tears were running freely now and her hands where shaking. "I love you too Grace. After my Grams died I never thought anyone would ever love me again. And then I came here and found you. You were an angel sent to me from heaven. I'm honored that you would think of me as a daughter."

Both women hugged for a long time and both cried in each other's arms. But soon, Elizabeth managed to recover her bearings and straighten out. She took the earrings and put them on and started to re-apply her make up.

"See what you did? Now I have to start over." She said in a teasing tone as she took her concealing powder in one hand, and looked at the image of Grace through the mirror.

"Once a brat always a brat. I'll leave you alone to finish up here. And please don't do your make up like a street worker. Subtlety, my child, is a virtue."

Grace managed to make Elizabeth laugh, before walking out of the room.

_**-xxxx-**_

Eva knocked on the door to his bedroom and found it was open. She had to finish making the beds and changing the towels, before she went downstairs to start the laundry. Silently, she made her way into the room and saw it was empty. These men were like ghosts, she thought. They were never home and the times they were, she never knew around what corner she was going to see them come around.

Dropping the stack of clean sheets and towels on a chair by the bed she got to work. Soon she had finished with the bed and walked to the bathroom to change the towels, but before she could walk inside the door opened.

The towels fell to the floor and she ran her eyes from his feet up to his... Dios Mío (Oh my God) he's naked, she thought as she took in his glorious form.

To say he was surprised to find her there was an understatement, but all his embarrassment vanished as he took in her flushed face. She was wearing one of those flimsy sundresses and her hair was pulled back on a ponytail. This is bad Francis really bad, he thought to himself. He looked at her again and had to smile, if it was bad in really felt good.

The bodyguard didn't realize his perusal of her was having a reaction on his body until he heard her shriek and turn around. Immediately, Francis took a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

"I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"It's okay. I'll just come in later." She tried to walk away but he stopped her and turned her around. She kept her eyes closed.

He smiled again. "It's safe to open your eyes now. I'm all covered."

"Estas loco? Lo menos que estoy a tu alrededor es segura." (Are you crazy? Secure is the last thing I am around you.)

"What was that?"

"Nothing, I was just leaving."

"Did I make you uncomfortable?"

"You think?" She said in a sarcastic tone.

"I didn't peg you for the shameful type."

"What is that suppose to mean?" She stood straight with hands on her waist.

"Well, taking our first meeting to account. You didn't seem that embarrassed, then."

"What did you want me to do? You two savages were pointing those guns at me. I couldn't exactly run to hide, could I?"

"I'm not complaining trust me. I was just pointing it out. I guess this makes us even."

"Whatever. I was just leaving."

"Eva, wait."

Francis took two more steps closer to her and she had to angle her head up to meet his eyes.

"What?"

Francis had to swallow and bit the inside of his cheeks to stop from kissing her. He remembered why he called after her then. "I- Jason...Is Jason home?"

"No. He left early this morning."

"What day is today?" He asked taking a step back.

"Wednesday, why?"

"Today is Elizabeth's high school graduation. I guess he won't make it to the meeting today."

"Do you need anything else?"

If you only knew, the thought. "No. Everything it's OK."

"Fine." She turned and left the room.

_**-xxxx-**_

Steven was waiting downstairs for Elizabeth. He looked back at his watched. They where suppose to be there already, what was taking them so long. He was pacing the living room when he saw her come down the stairs.

"Did we keep you waiting too long?" Elizabeth asked smiling.

"No. Not at all." He took a good look at Elizabeth and walked toward her. "You look beautiful, Lizzie."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Are we ready to go?"

"I think Grace and Manuel are about ready."

"What do you mean Grace and Manuel? Elizabeth, are they coming with us?"

"Yes. Why are you so surprised? I told you time and time again, those two people are my family."

The front door opened to reveal the Webber family.

"No Elizabeth, we are your family." Jeff Webber was the first one to walk inside. He was followed by his wife Caroline and his daughter Sarah.

Elizabeth was stunned. This couldn't be happening to her. Why were they there?

"This is a surprise. Cat got your tongue Lizzie? Or has our prayers being answered and you became a mute?" Caroline was half joking and half telling the truth.

"Mother!" Sarah cut in. "At least wait a few hours before you start spreading your venom."

"Don't worry Sarah. I'm used to it. And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not mute. Just surprised, for lack of a better word."

"Steven called us, Lizzie. I'm so proud of you. Congratulations." Sarah made her way to where Elizabeth was standing and hugged her.

Elizabeth's arms never left her sides. And her face was more of displeasure than happiness.

Grace and Manuel made their way from the kitchen and didn't notice the tension in the room until after Grace spoke.

"Here is your cap and gown, child. I think we are all ready to go."

"What do you mean "we"? You did not have the lack of taste as to invite the help to your graduation, did you?" Caroline asked from her spot at the other side of the house.

"Mr. and Mrs. Webber, I didn't know you where coming."

"It was a surprise for our youngest." Jeff said trying to keep his frustration at bay.

Everyone was quiet for a minute, the tension escalating to its highest peak. Grace and Manuel looked around the room to the faces of the new arrivals and knew they weren't welcome so he spoke.

"Grace, I think we should leave them alone. Now that the family is here they should be the ones with Elizabeth, not us."

"At last some common sense." Said Caroline looking down at the mocha colored skin man.

"Shut up!" Elizabeth screamed then. "I don't know why Steven thought he had the right to invite all of you here, but he didn't ask me what I wanted. Today is my graduation day and Grace and Manuel had being more of a family to me the last three years than any of you have. So they are going with me. If you want to go, fine by me. Just get there and tell everyone that you've being the ones sending the checks. I'm sure they'll let you in if you toss a couple of twenty's at them."

"I knew it was too good to be true. She's being leaving in this uncivilized country for too long. She's even more of big mouth than before."

Jeff looked at Caroline and she stopped talking then. Sarah was at the verge of tears and Steven was enjoying the show. It serves them right, he thought, for sending him here to do the job alone.

Elizabeth took the cap and gown from Grace and wrapped her arm around the older woman. "Let's go or we'll be late."

"I don't think this is such a good idea, hon."

"I don't care. Let's go."

And with that, Grace and Elizabeth walked out the door flanked by a very nervous Manuel.

The Webber family watched them walk out of the door. It was then that Jeff spoke.

"Let's go."

"Are we still going?" Asked Sarah surprised at the request.

"Of course we are. What did you think? I'm not letting that spoiled little girl do whatever she wants. She is still a minor and I'm her father. Come on. Let's go."

"This is going to be a very interesting family get-together." Steven added as he made his way to the door.


	13. Unexpected Guest

First of all thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter. Your feedback is greatly appretiated. Second, I wanted to apologize in advance, because the translations I made in this chapter are not exactly the best but for the love of me I couldn't find the right words for the names of this food in english, so just know that they are typical Puerto Rican foods. And last, but not least I know that a bathroom balcony is not the most romantic place, but believe me, the view from up there is breathtaking. (You'll understand when you read the chapter). I think this is enough confusion for you all... on with the show. Enjoy! 

**Chapter 13: Unexpected Guest**

It was another beautiful afternoon in Paradise. Blue skies and an unusually fresh breeze calming the day's warm setting sun, nobody would've thought that a storm was brewing close to home.

Elizabeth had sat to a three hour graduation ceremony. And while most of her classmates where shedding tears of joy and excitement she was crying tears of rage, weakness and betrayal. How dare her family show up after so long and act like nothing has happen? She didn't know and frankly she didn't care. And how dare Steven betray her trust by asking her family to come home?

Her tears long extinguished and only rage boiling in her blood she heard the Mother Superior words as she closed the ceremony.

"And in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holly Spirit I present to you the Graduated Class of 1998."

He watched as a wave of black caps flew over the girls and he sighed in relief. He'd been sitting on his bike for what seem forever, but it was finally over. He'd tried to coax the guard into letting him inside the school grounds but it was useless. Thus he had to settle by waiting outside until the ceremony was over and catch Elizabeth there instead.

He'd been out all day looking for a gift for her. He went to a dozen different stores before he found the perfect thing and he still wasn't sure about what he bought, but there was no turning back now. He watched as people started to walk out of the gates and he started looking for her.

Ten minutes went by and he was still waiting for her. He was getting impatient and thought of sneaking inside and go looking for her. It was then that he saw her. His easy smile turned into a frown instantly.

She was walking straight to the gates with Manuel and Grace trying to keep her pace. Then he saw her brother and three other people he didn't know. She wasn't smiling, she didn't seem happy at all. To the contrary, she seemed mad as hell. And then when the tall man grabbed Elizabeth by the elbow and stopped her, his blood started to boil. On instinct he was at the gates trying to get inside.

She was walking fast, but it wasn't fast enough. She felt them calling her name, but she didn't stop. She wanted to get away from them and no one was going to stop her. Or so she thought. A hand wrapped around her arm and turned her on her heels. She was face to face with her father.

"I said wait a minute. What? Is this what these people have been teaching you? Is this the kind of education you've been getting? Because as I just witness you are suppose to be a high school graduate with at least some knowledge of proper manners."

"I do have manners, with the people that is deserving of them."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Caroline added as she made her way to stand to the right of Jeff.

"It means that I don't have to respect you, because you haven't respected me. And for your information, manners and values are not supposed to be thought by school. They are supposed to be thought by parents. And seeing I'm an orphan I've done pretty well."

"Don't say that Elizabeth. We are your family and we just wanted to talk to you. Please stay, let's go to dinner and spend some quality time together." Sarah walked toward Elizabeth.

"The time to talk to me and to spend quality time with me has passed Sarah."

"Liz, Mom and Dad had traveled a long way to be here with you. The least you could do..." Elizabeth's fiery gaze traveled to Steven when she heard him speak.

"You don't even speak to me. I trusted you and you betrayed that trust."

"Don't be such a drama queen Lizzie." Caroline rolled her eyes in boredom.

"Elizabeth. My name is Elizabeth and I'm done with all of you. Go out to dinner, spend quality time together and stay the hell out of my live."

Elizabeth turned around and found blue eyes shining down on her. The most incredible blue eyes she's ever seen, the blue eyes that meant a safe heaven to her. Jason was standing ten feet away from her and she forgot all about the people standing behind her.

He saw the exchange and heard some of Elizabeth's statements. These people were her family. The Webber's where back and he knew the reason why she wasn't happy as he expected her to be.

He saw her turn and found his gaze unwavering from her. He wasn't surprised by the change in her demeanor. The fire that was burning in her eyes faded away and a beautiful light took over. He watched as her lips turned up into a big smile. She started moving toward him and soon her steady pace became a full out run. But he could only see her eyes, they seemed to become alive and her face became bright. Had his presence done that? Was it possible that his only presence had made such a change? He couldn't even fathom the thought.

And before he could explore the thought further his wind was knocked out of him. She was clinging from his neck and his arms instantly rounded her waist.

She could breathe again at the sight of him there. And when she was sure that it wasn't her imagination playing games with her, she break out on a run in his direction. When she was near him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and she felt his arms on her waist. She held on for dear life.

"I'm so glad your here."

"Me too."

Jeff and Caroline watched the exchange in outrage, while Grace and Manuel smiled and thanked their lucky stars. Steven was shaking his head in displeasure and Sarah was eyeing the hunk of a man in front of them. He was almost perfect. Six feet of lean muscle, a square jaw and a pair of piercing blue eyes that made the sky look gray in comparison... a Greek God was nothing compared to the mystery man who was holding her little sister in his muscular arms. And there lay his only flaw. What the hell was a man like that doing with a girl like Lizzie?

"Who is that thug and what the hell is he doing to my daughter?"

Elizabeth let go of Jason and took a step back. He was looking at her and she felt safe. Taking another step back she smoothed her dress and took a deep breath.

"Are you OK?" He said in a deep and tender voice.

"Yes."

"No, you're not."

She smiled then and he could tell she wasn't faking. "I'm better now."

They looked to each other, but the spell was broken when they heard the outrage screams of Jeff Webber. Elizabeth turned and watched as they all walked the couple of feet that were separating them.

"Who the hell are you? And what do you think you're doing with my daughter?"

"Dad, this is Jason Morgan. I told you about him the other day." Steven said.

"Well Jason Morgan, do you know that my daughter is underage?"

Jason didn't answer. He stood there with his arms crossed over his black button down shirt and stared at the man in front of him. Elizabeth was about to go off, but Grace stepped in.

"Jason and Elizabeth are just friends, Mr. Webber. He helped us during a difficult time. It's not what you think."

"I don't remember speaking to you, Grace." Jeff stepped closer to Jason and Elizabeth. "This friendship is completely unacceptable. Elizabeth I forbid you to see this man again. Come with us immediately, we're leaving." He stretched his hand and grabbed Elizabeth by the elbow again. She shrugged it away and Jason stepped in.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"What do you think you're doing?" Jeff spat at the younger man.

"Don't touch her."

"I can't believe this? Who the hell do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do with my own child."

"I am not a child and you can't tell me what to do. Jason is my friend and I'm going to see him whenever I feel like it."

Jeff let out a sigh and his eyes turned to stones. Elizabeth could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears. He was rabid mad and she didn't care.

"Elizabeth Imogene Webber, I've tolerated your little tantrum so far, but enough is enough. You are doing a spectacle of yourself."

"I don't care about what you think. If you don't want me to make a spectacle as you call it, just leave."

"I'm only going to say this one more time. We are going home, now."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and turned to Jason. "Do you have your bike?"

"It's out side."

"Grace, I'm going for a ride with Jason."

"Elizabeth, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You need to talk to your family."

"Listen to her, Lizzie." Sarah said, not paying attention to her sister at all. She was too busy enjoying view of the hunk standing in front of her.

"Let's go." Elizabeth turned around to look at Jason.

He didn't say a word he just gave a half a turn and started to walk out of the gates. Elizabeth walked along with him and soon they were out on the sidewalk. Grace, Manuel and the whole Webber clan came out of the gates in time to see Elizabeth get on the back of the motorcycle. Jeff made one last attempt to call after his daughter but his voice was drowned by the roar of the motorcycle.

Jason revved the bike again and Elizabeth held on tight, soon they were on their way down the road. The wind started sweep over them and soon all of her pent up frustration started to leave her body. At last she was free.

A couple of hours later, they were walking down the streets of Old San Juan in a deep and comfortable silence. They found a small plaza full of small stands with artisans and Elizabeth wondered around. They stood for a while watching as an old man made a serigraphy of the sunset. Elizabeth looked closely at every move the artisan made and Jason could tell she was absorbing every bit of technique so she could try it some time in the future. After a while Elizabeth started to walk again, this time she crossed the street and they walked over to the San Felipe Fort, commonly called El Morro.

It was early evening so it was closed to the public. Elizabeth was about to turn around but Jason stooped her. "Come, this way."

Jason walked over to the guard and talked to him in a thick accent Spanish. Elizabeth wasn't surprised when the guard opened a small gate and Jason nodded to him in thanks. He turned to Elizabeth and called her over. They walked inside and the guard closed the gate again.

"Where are we going?"

"You told me once that you wanted to see the sunset over a balcony in the top floor."

"I said I wanted to see the sunset over the balcony in the woman's bathroom in the top floor, Jason." Elizabeth stopped on her tracks.

"I know. That's where we are going."

Elizabeth looked at him in complete shock. "Are you for real?"

"What?"

"You actually listen to what I say and then you go and make it happen. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just get a move on or we'll miss the show."

Jason grabbed her by the hand and they made their way across the courtyard and up the stairs.

Eva let out a long sigh. She had spent the day working like a slave. She cleaned the rooms, she did the laundry, and she swept and dusted and went shopping to the market. She was exhausted and all she wanted was a hot bubble bath and a good night sleep. But it was definitely not going to happen.

The laughs and loud voices trailed inside the kitchen from the dinning room and she felt tempted to scream her lungs out in desperation. Mr. Francis Caruso had chosen this night to have a poker night. And right now he and three more of his friends were sitting around the dinning room table smoking Cuban cigars and drinking Bacardi.

She wasn't sure what was bothering her more, the fact that she was stuck cooking for them, that she wasn't invited or that he hadn't said a word to her since that morning.

She finished arranging the platter filled with fried goods and made her way to the dinning room. As soon as the swinging door opened the huge smoke cloud made her sneeze.

"Salud." Said Marcos.

"Good bless you." Said Quincy, the youngest one of the group.

"Gracias."

Eva placed the platter at one side of the table and Johnny took a piece from the platter. He ate it in one bite.

"That was good. What is it?"

"It's called _empanadillas_. They are sort of cousins of the empanadas from the South American cooking. They can be made with anything you want. There are three kinds here, ground beef, chicken and four cheeses." Eva was standing awkwardly to the side as she went on about her food creations. "These round ones are called _rellenos_. Literally it means fill with something..."

Before she could mention what the things where filled with, Johnny took one and ate it. He finished and smiled.

"That one was also ground beef. They are some kind of potato dough, right?"

Eva smiled. "Yes Mr. O' Brian. It's a kind of potato dough filled with any kind of meat, usually ground beef. What can I say, we like our red meats around here."

"You are a great cook. I wish my wife had time to cook some of this homemade. Whenever I get the urge to eat fried goods I have to go buy them."

"I can teach you to make them. It's not that difficult."

"Oh, I want to join the class. Maybe if I learn to cook something exotic, I could actually get a date once I get back to New York." Quincy joined the conversation as he sampled another one of Eva's creations.

Poker game forgotten and his playmates attention focused on the young woman Francis was pissed. He dropped his cards and dropped his fist on the table bringing their attention back to him.

"Okay ladies, are we going to play or are we going to turn this into a girl's night and keep chatting about food with Ms. Puerto Rican Martha Stewart over there."

"What crawled up your ass and died Frannie?" Johnny asked after noticing that his friend's mood has gone from bad to worst as the night progressed.

"Yeah, man. You've been acting kind of weird all night." Quincy added calmly.

"I've been acting weird? I'm not the one making goo-goo eyes at the maid all night. I asked you guys here for a poker game not a cooking class. So if you guys are not interested in playing you better leave."

With that he stood up and walked out to the back yard crossing the glass sliding door. He never lifted his gaze to look at Eva and her eyes never wavered from his face. But no one noticed though.

"What the hell was that about?" Marcos didn't ask anyone in particular.

"I have no idea." Johnny kept eating and drinking from his glass as if nothing has happened.

"I think that was my fault." Eva spoke in a murmur not even realizing she had done it.

"Why would it be your fault?" Quincy asked intrigued at the statement.

"What?" Eva asked surprised.

"You said it was your fault."

"Oh. No I... excuse me." Eva shook her head and walked out of the dinning room and into the kitchen.

"Did anyone else noticed the tension or was it just me?" Quincy asked his other two companions.

Both Marcos and Johnny were too busy eating to answer his question.

"Wa?" Johnny asked in between bites.

"Forget it."

It was almost midnight when Jason pulled the bike to a stop at the side of the road. After they watched the sunset from one of the balconies at the Fort, Jason took Elizabeth ridding again, but it was late and he knew she had to get home soon.

"Why did you stop?" Elizabeth asked from her place at the back of the bike through her new helmet.

Jason had bought her a black helmet that fit her perfectly as a graduation gift. What he didn't know was that his presence had been gift enough for her. Her new helmet had a purple shade visor and the letters EW engraved on the right side in the same purple color.

She pulled up the visor and spoke again. "Why did we stop?"

"It's almost midnight. You should call home to let them know you're okay. We can take the next exit and you'll be home in 45 minutes."

Her arms left his middle instantly and when she took her helmet off, he turned a bit to look at her. She was disappointed at first, but then he saw her determine look fall into place.

"I'm not going home."

"What do you mean you are not going home?"

"I mean, if it's okay with you, and you still have that room available at your place, maybe I could crash there tonight. That way we don't have to go back yet."

He had to take a minute to process her statement. She has spoken so fast he hardly had time to take in her words. She saw the different emotions play on his face and realized she had made a mistake.

"Look it was just an idea. If you don't want me to crash at your place I understand. Don't mind me I just thought that...just forget I asked. I don't know what got into me. Let's go."

She tried to put her helmet back on, but he grabbed her wrist. She dropped the helmet over her lap.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home? I mean, your family is there."

"That's exactly why I don't want to go. I'm not up for one of the Webber Wars. But its okay I understand, you have a life and I'm no one to ask you to disrupt your routine just to make room for a silly little girl. I understand."

"No you don't. You're not disrupting anything, Elizabeth. You just took me by surprise. Of course you can stay at my place. I just don't think you should run away from your problems. You are a strong person, I'm sure you can hold your own. Hell, I saw you do it today."

"Well, I'm drained out. I'm exhausted and the least thing I want to do is see those people tonight."

"Okay, if that's what you want, we'll keep ridding for a while and then I'll take us home."

He gave her a smile and put on his helmet and she did the same. As the bike came back to live and the wind started to dance around them, she realized what he had said... he was going to take them home. Her heart skipped a bit and as he revved the bike she held on more firmly to him.

Realization hit her...whenever she was on the back of his motorcycle she was already home.


	14. Happy Freaking Birthday to Me

**_I know you guys are going to hate me after this but I had to do it. If you want to know what I'm talking about read. Please review and tell what you think._**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Happy Freaking Birthday to Me**

It was almost 10 am when Jason and Elizabeth made their way into the Webber's driveway. Elizabeth was wearing one of Jason's tee shirts and a pair of shorts. Her hair was a mass of windblown curls around her face and contrary to how she looked the day before, she had a huge smile on her face.

Taking her helmet of, she stepped down with the help of Jason.

"I'll never get tire of ridding on the back of your bike!"

"That's what you say now, but last night you weren't too eager to move back to your place when I let you drive."

"Well it was your mistake. You told me once that I had the bug, why on Earth did you let me drive if you knew I was becoming addicted to you…"

As the words came out her mouth his smile faltered and she turned crimson with embarrassment.

"…to your bike. I'm becoming addicted to your bike and the wind and the velocity and then you go and let me drive and who would've thought I was going to be so good at it. I mean besides nearly running over an old lady and several trashcans I did pretty well didn't I?"

"Riiiight… let's not forget you nearly ran us of the road, twice."

"That wasn't my fault. There was a little chicken in the road. Besides, you had more control over the bike than me. All we did was change positions. We drove around with your arms around me instead of the usual."

"This bike is way too big for you, Elizabeth. You have to manage your weight, the force of the wind…

The door to the house opened and the Webber herd came out with exaggerated demonstrations of worry.

"Oh Elizabeth, thank God you are alright!" Sarah was the first to walk over and give her a hug. Elizabeth just stood there all signs of happiness erasing from her face.

"Young lady you have some explaining to do."

"Are you OK, Lizzie?"

"Where were you? Did this hooligan do something to you? I swear that if you put your dirty hands on my daughter you are going to rot in jail for the rest of your life."

Jeff Webber was on Jason's face. All the while Jason was leaning on his bike, his arms crossed over his chest and a not so amused look on his face.

"You are not going to say anything. You are just going to stand there and mock me while you've just taken my still underage girl's innocence."

"What are you babbling about Jeff?" Elizabeth couldn't hold it any longer. She walked toward Jason and gave him her helmet which he took without a word. She stood in front of her father and put her hands on her hips.

"This man kidnaps you and you are still defending him. It figures, you always were a little…"

"No, you have me confused with your wife. She was the one banging the help while you were out saving lives."

Caroline's face turned red at her daughter's words. "How dare you say that about your own mother?"

"No. How dare you even suggest that Jason could take advantage of me? You don't know him. Hell, if you even thought that I would do something like that you don't even know me; the girl you claim to own."

"But, Lizzie. You spent the night with him, you are wearing his clothes. What else would you want us to think?" Sarah said with her angelic face, all the while thinking that if her little sis did spent the night with Jason 'the hunk' Morgan she was the luckiest witch ever.

"I did spend the night, but not in Jason's bed. I slept in his spare room, the one he let me stay in when he took care of me after I was almost raped and none of you bother to show up. Yes, I'm wearing his shirt, big freaking deal. He's seen more of me than any of you would ever see. And I'm not talking about my body, but about my soul."

Elizabeth turned around and found Jason staring at her with admiration shinning in his bright blue orbs. Seeing his face made her even stronger than she ever thought she was. Expelling a breath she walked a couple of feet towards him.

"Thank you for everything, Jason. I think you should go now. The Webber's and I have a little chat we need to have and there's no better time than the present."

"Are you sure you want to stay?"

"No. But I have to."

"OK. I'll talk to you later then."

"That would be great. I'm sure I'll need some venting to do."

"I'll call you later. Here."

He stood up and gave her the helmet but she didn't take it. "No, you keep it. It'll be easier that way."

"What if you want to go riding with someone else?" The words left a sour after taste on his mouth. He didn't want her to go riding with someone else.

Elizabeth frowned and then smiled. "Sorry Mr. Morgan, but you are stuck with me. I only feel safe on that bike right there. So unless you don't want me in it…"

"That is never going to happen."

"OK its settle then. You keep the helmet."

"Bye, Elizabeth."

"See you later Jason."

Without another word he placed her helmet in the small compartment in the back and straddled the bike. He didn't look back at the Webber's who were still standing there. He revved the bike and smiled back at Elizabeth after taking of.

Turning around her eyes instantly went cold. "I'm going to change and then we are all going to have a long overdue family talk. Excuse me."

"Wait a minute. You can't summon us just like that." Caroline protested with a whinny voice.

"I guess I just did." Without another word Elizabeth disappeared inside the house.

An hour later the whole family was sitting in the library waiting for Elizabeth.

"I told you, you were going the wrong way about her." Steven said as he leaned against the desk.

Sarah was idly turning the pages of a magazine as she sat on one end of the love seat. "I think I've been playing my role very well. I mean come on how many more hugs do I have to give her before she thinks I missed her?"

"I can't stand being around the little brat much longer. I want to go back to Moscow." Caroline was sitting in the other end of the love seat.

"You are just mad that she had the courage to yell at the top of her lungs what a slut you are." Jeff said as he took a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk.

"Come on Jeff, what else you wanted me to do? Your little soldier has been out of commission for decades."

"Ew, too much information." Sarah yelled as she covered her ears.

"Look we need to listened to what she has to say. We have to act like we actually care. I was making progress before you came here but all that has gone to hell. I'm going to apologize, and you Sarah keep with the good sister act. Befriend her, talk to her about her art and try to get information about her friendship with Morgan. You two start acting like loving parents that missed their young girl. She hates people telling her what to do, so just tell her you are worried and apologize for your behavior so far."

Steven was standing now. "I've gotten to know a bit about her and…

The door to the library opened and Elizabeth was standing there. She closed the door and walked into the room. "Keep going. Don't let me interrupt. You've gotten to know a bit about me and what?"

"Elizabeth, we were just talking about…"

"Me. I know. This is going to be really interesting, the guide to Elizabeth Webber."

"Look Lizzie…"

"Don't call her that." Steven answered before Elizabeth could. She looked at him surprised. He went on. "She hates to be called that way. She's not the same little girl we sent away all those years ago. I couldn't understand her at first, but now I think I get her."

Elizabeth sat at the edge of the desk and dangled her feet. "Go ahead Steven enlighten us."

"You were abandoned like a little animal." The words stung Elizabeth but she blinked the tears fast before they fell. "You were so young and you were so scared. Just like a little puppy. After Grandmother Audrey passed away, you were left alone and you had to learn to fend for yourself; first back in Colorado and then here in a completely strange place. You were shipped here to a different weather and different language and different culture. It was hard at first, but you found people who cared enough to break you out of that hard exterior. You found your painting again and you found a new family."

Elizabeth was willing her tears away but she wasn't doing a good job. Everyone in the room could see them about to fall. The rest of the Webber's were impressed at Steven's insight on the girls mind. He knew which buttons to push. Hearing his son, Jeff got an idea as to what his son was trying to do.

"I'm so sorry my little child. I didn't know how much hurt I had caused you, when all I wanted to do was to help you." Jeff locked eyes with Elizabeth and her bottom lip started to tremble, her eyes bright with unshed tears. He smiled inwardly. This was going to be easier than he thought.

"After my mother died, I was also destroyed. But I was jealous of you. She had spent her last days with you. She was mad at me and I couldn't tell her I was sorry for all the things I've done to her. She died thinking I didn't love her and giving you everything... all her love and care."

"That's not true. She wanted to see you, but it was too hard to get to where you were in Europe."

"I know that now, baby. But I didn't know it back then. I was blinded with hurt. And then you started to act out. You started to go out late at night and smoking and partying… it was worst. I thought that all the love my mother had given you had been wasted. I thought you didn't care."

"How could you think that? She practically raced me when you left me." The tears were now falling freely. "All I needed was my family."

Sarah and Caroline were amazed at Jeff, he was about to do the impossible. He was about to break down Elizabeth's shell.

"I was too far gone. I was frustrated and enraged and sad all at once. So I did the only thing I knew could actually work. I took you away and I sent you here. We've come here once on a family vacation and you loved it. Steven had lived here for a couple years and we knew about the Catholic school. It was our last resort."

Elizabeth cleaned her eyes with the back of her hands. "It still doesn't explain why you stayed away and what are you doing here now."

"Isn't it obvious?" Sarah's voice came from the back of the room. "We missed you. We wanted to be here for you. After we learned about what almost happened to you we couldn't stay away."

"That was months ago, Sarah."

"It took a while to fix things in Moscow so we could take the time off. When Steven called us about your graduation we had to be here." Caroline added softly.

They were all serene and with hopeful glints in their eyes. Who were this people and what have they done to her family?

"You can stay here all the time you want. But it doesn't mean I have to obey your rules or tell you anything about my life. I see Jason whenever I want to and you stay out of his face."

"Elizabeth, we are not your enemies. We are your family."

"Yeah, well that's still up for debate." Elizabeth stood up and moved closer to the door. "One more thing, don't ever disrespect Grace or Manuel. They are not the help, they are my family. And if you have a problem with that, there are plenty of hotels in Old San Juan where you could stay."

Two weeks passed and the Webber's were still there. Elizabeth was feeling weird like for the first time they had been telling her the truth. Steven was working on his research and Jeff was helping out with the Department of Health in some paperwork. Caroline and Sarah were always shopping, going to the theater and the Country Club they've managed to get into.

They have left her alone, almost. Sarah was always trying to talk to her and asking her to the movies and so called 'girls night out'. So far she had gone twice and been bored out of her mind of the mindless chatter that her sister insisted on babbling about.

Besides her father insisting on them eating dinner together every night, she was mostly alone and concentrating on her painting. Three days after her graduation Jason had gone out of town again and she was still waiting to hear from him. He usually called her at least to let her know he was alright, but so far nothing.

Elizabeth had taken to calling his house and talking to Eva. The girl had seemed bitchy the first time they met, but after they started talking they found that they had a couple of things in common. The girl was hilarious and really smart. She would go on and on about how Jason had the "Fad four", as she calls them, over and they'll leave the house a mess. But she also complained about how everything is so quiet when they are away on business. Eva will talk about Marcos, Johnny, Quincy and Jason often but when it comes to Francis she's a bit more reserved which gave Elizabeth the impression that the young girl was falling for the older bodyguard.

Elizabeth could only imagine how hard it could be to live alone in a house filled with young and attractive men. Aside from Marcos all the rest were single and not bad on the eyes. Not bad at all. She had met all of them, and aside from Johnny who still made her nervous sometimes, she liked all of them.

One morning, she was deep in her sleep when the phone decided to ring, and ring and ring…

She sat up reluctantly noticing it was still dark outside. With her sleep filled voice and muffling a yawn she answered.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Elizabeth, Happy Birthday to you!!!"

Elizabeth smiled at the familiar voice. "You are crazy you know, calling this early in the morning."

"Sorry, I didn't know it was that early. I'm still not sure about this time zone thing. Did I wake you up?"

"Hell yeah, and from a really good dream too."

"Really? What where you dreaming about? Or should I say who?"

"I was riding Jason's bike and we were going so fast that the road was a blur and the wind was rushing by… his arms were wrapped around me and I was free."

There was a long silence in the line and Elizabeth thought she had gotten disconnected. "Robin? Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here. I just got distracted there for a while. I'm on my way to school and I thought this was my stop, but it wasn't. So, you and Jason have become really close friends, ha."

"Yes we have. He's been so good to me Robin. You have no idea. He listens to me and sometimes he even speaks back." Elizabeth laughed a bit. "He takes me on his bike or we just hang around his place with Eva, Francis, Marcos and Barbara. He's good and respectful and caring… we get along great considering that I hated him back when we met. He was such a controlling as…"

"Well, people change."

"I'm sorry Robin. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm such a blabbermouth."

"It's okay Elizabeth. What happened between Jason and me it's dead and buried. I'm happy that you guys became friends. I know what you mean, he's a great person just not boyfriend material."

Elizabeth frowned at her friend's tone. "Are you really OK with me hanging out with him? I mean we became friendsafter you guys broke up and I hadn't told him anything about the things we've talk about if that's what you are worried about."

"Elizabeth I know you wouldn't say anything. It's just… you have to be careful. He's not what he seems."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's mixed up in some really bad things."

"Oh that! You nearly gave me a heart attack. I know about his 'other business'."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I figured it out on my own. He didn't tell me specifics and I didn't ask. As long as he's careful and comes home safe I don't have a problem with that."

"Hum."

"What?"

"It's nothing, you just sounded like me when I started to fall for him."

"What?" Elizabeth touched her cheek thankful that Robin couldn't see her face turning red. "Don't be silly. I'm not falling for him. We are just friends."

"I hope so, honey. I loved Jason and I'll always care about him as a friend, but again the world his involved in is dangerous and I wouldn't want you to get caught up in it."

"So, you are over him? Just like that?"

"As I said, I'll always love him. But we never could've worked out. We had different believes. Look I have to go I'm almost at my stop. I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. We have to talk again soon so you can tell me about your family. How is it going?"

"Good I guess... they are acting all caring and weird."

"Weird how?"

"Like they actually give a damn."

Robin laughed at Elizabeth's disgusted voice. "Maybe they do, give them a change. You never know."

"We'll see about that. Take care Robin. It was really nice talking to you."

"It was nice talking to you too, Elizabeth. Be careful."

"I will."

After her talk with Robin, Elizabeth couldn't go back to sleep she kept replaying the conversation in her mind. _"It's nothing you just sounded like me when I started to fall for him." _

Giving up on sleep Elizabeth brushed her teeth and went to her studio. She was concentrated on the canvas. It was a sunset overlooking the city from a mountain top. She lost herself in the painting forgetting what day it was. Soon her painting was done and she was exhausted. She went back to bed then.

It was almost two in the afternoon when Sarah came barging into her room and plopped down on her bed successfully waking her up from her nap.

"What the hell?" Elizabeth sat up and found the green eyes of her sister smiling at her.

"Goodafternoon sleepy head."

"What do you want?"

"I came to ask if you could accompany me to the mall."

"No."

"Come on Liz. I need a new outfit for tonight."

"What's tonight?"

"Your surprise birthday party."

"My what?"

"Oops. I wasn't supposed to say anything. Don't tell mom and dad, they'll be royally pissed."

"I don't want a birthday anything."

"Come on Liz. Mom has actually worked to make tonight perfect."

Arching a brow in surprise Elizabeth stood up. "She has?"

"Yup. And Grace is making your favorite double trouble chocolate cake."

Elizabeth was suspicious at her sister antics. If this was more of a party than a family dinner she'll give them a surprise of their own.

It was almost 8 o'clock when they made it back home. Sarah had bought a light blue silk dress and she had practically drag Elizabeth to the Beauty Salon to get their hair done. In contrast to her sister's angelic look, Elizabeth was wearing a black camisole, black leather pants and a black leather jacket. Her hair was made in tight curls and her make up was dark and smoky.

The house was quiet and the lights where off. She wasn't prepared to find half the school jumping out of the darkness and yelling 'Happy Birthday' as she walked through the door.

"What the…" She walked to the center of the living room and look around.

"Happy birthday, honey." Jeff exclaimed as he walked toward her and gave her a hug. "I can't believe my little girl is turning 18."

"Congratulations Elizabeth, you are finally of age." Steven hugged her next.

"Happy Birthday." Caroline said as she gave her a kiss in the cheek and stepped back.

Music started to blare from the speaker through the house and all of the people in the house started to dance. She recognize some of them other's she had never seen before. Running her hands over her face she shook her head. This couldn't be happening to her.

A couple of hours later, Elizabeth was sitting on a corner drinking from her flute of Champaign. "Happy Freaking Birthday to me." She said to herself. It was then that Jeff called her to the middle of the room. What the hell did he want now? She walked toward him.

"First I want everyone here to know how proud I am of my younger daughter. She has lived through difficult undertakings, but she had survived them all..."

The bell of the door rang and someone answered it. No one noticed as he made his way trough the crowd. Jeff kept giving his speech and urging everyone to race their glasses in a toast.

"Happy Birthday Elizabeth." The tick accent made her look up. Her glass fell to the floor and chattered into a million pieces. She closed her eyes and tried to will him away. When she opened her eyes she found him smiling back at her. Tony Morales was standing five feet away from her.


	15. It's Getting Hot in Here

_Hey there! I know it's been a long time, hope that you haven't forgotten about this story. I'm not sure that this is a good one but you guys will decide thatby yourself and will tell me about it, right? I love your feedback. Enjoy the story!_**

* * *

**

**Chapter 15: It's Getting Hot in Here**

One moment she was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by dozens of people she didn't care about, celebrating her 18th birthday, and the next she was running.

She saw him standing there, smiling that cocky grin down at her. She started to tremble, her glass hit the floor in a loud chatter and her heart started to pound inside her chest. She heard the faint sound of her name coming from people around her, but she couldn't speak. Without another thought Elizabeth ran through the door and disappeared into the night.

"Was it something I said?" Tony asked looking around the room to the astonished faces of the people gathered in the living room.

Grace and Manuel made their way into the room holding the chocolate cake in her hand. She didn't notice the commotion until she was close enough to notice the presence of the young man.

"What the…?" Dropping the cake to the floor the older woman moved closer as rage filled her once tender expression. "How dare you come into this house? I'm calling the police. You can't be running free after what you tried to do to my little child."

"Callate vieja bruja." (Shut up you old witch.)

"What's wrong with you woman?" Manuel asked Grace.

"This animal was the one who tried to rape Elizabeth."

_**xxxx**_

She ran, the wind flying by and the tears clouding her eyes. The only thing she felt was her heartbeat and her heavy breathing. Bits and pieces of that night came flooding in and she was unable to stop them, so she ran.

"_Come on you know you want to…stop fighting it. We'll do this my way or the hard way…Shh…You know you want to…Stop fighting it…My way…" _

"Noooooo!!!!" Elizabeth screamed as she dropped to the sand and started crying harder. Sobs were raking through her body and the tears seem to be endless. Nothing around her made any sense anymore. Not even the rev of the bike as it made its way down the street.

He was late. Grace had called him earlier to let him know that the Webber's were planning a party to celebrate Elizabeth's 18th birthday, so he knew he had to be there, just incase they pulled a fast one on her.

A couple of minutes later, Jason Morgan was standing in front of the door about to knock when it opened abruptly and a couple of girls made their way out chatting away without even noticing his presence. He frowned as he caught the last of their talk.

"Grace dijo que el la intentó violar." (Grace said he tried to rape her.)

"¿Y tu le creiste? A la familia de ella no parecía importarle que el estuviera ahí." (And you believed her? Her family didn't seem to be bothered by his presence.)

Jason turned to watch them walk away. What were they talking about? And why were they leaving? He looked at his watched and noticed it wasn't that late. Turning around he found himself face to face with a blond woman, dressed in a light blue dress. She was smiling at him.

"Jason is nice to see you again."

"Is Elizabeth around?"

"She's not home."

"She's not? I thought today was her birthday. Grace called me and invited me to the party. Is something wrong?"

"Lizzie is just a bit juvenile and she got a surprise she didn't quite like, so she ran away. I thought she'd be running straight to you, but maybe she found someone else on her way there."

"What happened?" Jason was about to loose his temper when he heard Grace's voice. "Grace? Excuse me." He rushed by Sarah and into the living room.

Grace was pacing the room and Caroline was sitting on the couch drinking a martini, while Jeff talked on the phone and Steven stared at his father in exasperation.

"What's going on here?"

"Good night to you too." Steven said in between clenched teeth at the sight of Jason.

"Where's Elizabeth? What happened?"

"My dear boy, something horrible happened." Grace walked to Jason and grabbed his hands on hers. "He came to the party. He had the cojones (balls) to walk into this house and talk to my girl."

Jason's blood was starting to boil with anger, he was beginning to connect the dots, but it couldn't be what he thought. No, he had people tailing the little fuck. He couldn't be that stupid, he couldn't be having a death wish.

"Grace, who came to Elizabeth's party?"

"That monster…Tony Morales."

Jeff Webber dropped the phone and faced Jason. "What are you doing here?"

Jason ignored him. "Where is Elizabeth? Did he do something to her?"

"No. When I came out of the kitchen she was gone."

"Elizabeth saw him and immediately vaulted for the door." Sarah interjected then.

"I called the police. They'll be here any second. How could that man set a foot inside my house like that?"

"We have to do something Elizabeth is wondering out there alone. He left soon after, what if he finds her?" Steven started to move toward the door, but Jason stopped him.

"You are not going anywhere."

"Who do you think you are?"

"All of you are staying here. Grace if you here something from Elizabeth, call me."

With that Jason ran out of the house. He needed to find her before something happened to her, if he didn't he would never be able to forgive himself.

_**xxxx**_

Eva was sitting on the chaise lounge looking at the sky. Slowly throughout the day the temperature had been rising. And she was hot. Deep inside she knew that there were other reasons for her change in temperature and that reason was standing on the sliding door behind her staring at her right now.

Without turning, she spoke. "Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to say something?"

"How do you… never mind."

She never ceased to amaze him. They've met under strange circumstances, they were different in so many ways, but somehow they had a strange connection and it scared the shit out of him.

Turning her head, trying to catch him with the corner of her eyes she spoke again. "Do you need something? Coffee? Clean towels?"

"Eva, don't…"

"Don't what Mr. Caruso, you made it clear that I was the maid. So I'm just taking my place. I guess I shouldn't be sitting here. After all this is for the guests. Excuse me."

She stood up and Francis forgot his name at the sight of the woman standing in front of him. She was wearing a red boy short and an old faded t-shirt, her hair was loose around her face and she wasn't wearing any make up. She looked young and vulnerable and he wanted her. Throwing caution out the window Francis took two strides toward her and before she could react his lips were crashing over hers.

Hot, furious and passionate, his arms were around her waist and her hands were around his neck. Savoring and exploring each other, there was no escaping the feelings that were growing deep inside of them.

The need for air made them break apart. They were breathless, eyes filled with desire and need.

"I…"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry or that it was a mistake." She was shaking a little.

"Don't worry sweetheart. I'm not sorry and it sure as hell wasn't a mistake. In fact I'm pretty much planning on doing it again… and again… and again."

The blush that was adorning her cheeks intensified at his words. She walked to him and smiled.

As much as it pained him, they had to talk before their lips touched again. So he motioned her to the chaise lounge she'd been occupying earlier.

"We need to talk. Sit down please."

Taking a seat next to him she frowned. "What is it?"

"I need to explain some things."

"Like the reason why you've been such a pain in the ass?"

He let out a throaty laugh and nodded. "Yes. Look, you are a beautiful woman and you know you are. You've been walking around the house wearing those flimsy little dresses and that big smile. It's not hard for a man to notice you."

"So that's it. You're saying I'm a tease?"

"Eva, please listen to me before you start a huge fight."

"What are you saying now? That I'm impulsive? That I'm drama queen?"

"Eva, would you shut that beautiful mouth of yours long enough for me to tell you I'm sorry for been a jackass? I'm trying to tell you that I like you… I'm trying to tell you that I was jealous of Johnny and Quincy. That's why I acted like a jerk the other day. I didn't want to like you. I didn't want to feel things for you or anyone for that matter. My life is complicated and I don't know for how long I'm going to be around. I can't promise you I'll be here tomorrow. But damn it woman, I want you."

His admission made her heart beat a little faster and eyes to shine with unshed tears. He intertwined his fingers with hers and for the first time he noticed how thin and delicate she was.

"I like you too. And it scares me, because I've never felt this way before. I mean I've never wanted someone so much after only five minutes of knowing him. You reel me up and make me crazy, but in a good crazy."

"Good because you make me crazy too." He kissed her again. This time it was sweet and soft.

Before he could deepened the kiss she stopped him. "Wait, Francis. Before we go any further I need to know there's no Mrs. Caruso and little Caruso's going around somewhere."

"I'm not married and I don't have children. Well, none besides Johnny. He's my pet."

She laughed a loud and child like giggle that had him smiling too. "I don't think Mr. O Brian would appreciate you saying that about him."

"Are you telling on me?"

"Your secret is safe with me."

"I know it is." He kissed her again and this time everything around them went hazy. They forgot where they were and immersed in each other's arms.

They were making out like teenagers when the doorbell rang. Once, twice, three times… they were desperate. Francis broke their exploration and apologized to Eva before he stood from his place an entered the house. Hearing the bell ring and then the bang on the door Eva frowned and ran after Francis.

The guard opened the door and found a disheveled Elizabeth standing at the doorway. Her clothes were filthy, her hair was a mess and her makeup was smeared around her eyes.

"Elizabeth?"

"Is- is J-Jas-son he-here?"

"No he's supposed to be with you." Something bad was happening and he didn't know what to do. "Come inside."

Elizabeth walked to the living room and found Eva standing there. When the other woman called her name, the petite brunette walked to her and hugged her tight. Sobs started to rake over her small body and tears started to fall again.

"I'll call Jason." Francis walked to the study leaving them alone.

"It's OK. Everything is going to be okay once Jason gets here." The Puerto Rican woman smoothed her hands over Elizabeth's hair in a soothing motion.

_**xxxx**_

He got the call and turned the bike around. He needed to get home as soon as possible. If the asshole dared to put his hands on her again he was as good as dead. He himself would make sure of that.

He walked through the door to find the living room empty. Te lights where on and he could hear voices coming from the kitchen. He made his way to the swinging door. Inside he found the blue eyes of the girl he swore to protect.

Eva was standing by the stove filling two mugs with steaming hot chocolate. Francis was standing to one side and Elizabeth had been sitting on one of the stools that lined the island in the middle of the kitchen.

She had been, because now she was clinging to his neck for dear life. They stayed embraced for what seemed like hours. She broke the contact first. Stepping out of his arms she smoothed her hair and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Hey…Elizabeth, look at me." Putting his fingers under her jaw he made her look up. He found her eyes swollen from crying. "This wasn't your fault. Don't ever look down or feel ashamed."

The scene seemed private and personal, so Eva and Francis walked out of the kitchen leaving them alone.

Jason walked to the stools and sat down, motioning for her to do the same. Elizabeth sat down next to him and willed her tears away. He noticed her bottom lip quivering and took her hands on his.

"I didn't want a birthday party. I didn't want them here. All I wanted for my 18th birthday was a long bike ride along the seashore and not worry about anything but the wind in my face and how close the stars look once we stop." Elizabeth stopped her rambling to take a long breath. "I acted out as I always do. Sarah wanted me to buy a dress and have my hair done so I, been the bitch I am, decided that I was going to do things my way. I bought leather pants and a jacket…I had this dark make up done and made my hair into tight curls…Caroline almost flipped out when she saw me. She said I looked like a biker's whore."

He took in her clean face, her pink tank top and grey shorts. Her hair still had some of the curls in it. She looked like a vulnerable little girl to him.

"I liked the way I looked. I was ready for a bike ride." She smiled sheepishly.

"I bet you were. Sorry I was late."

"This wasn't your fault either. I don't know how he found out it was my birthday. Jeff was doing some lame speech. I was bored and I wanted to get out of there. He walked in then, I guess. I don't know who let him in or how he got in. I was looking down and then I heard his voice… the voice that has been haunting me since that night. I couldn't believe it. When I looked up there he was. Standing close to me, smiling… It was a nightmare, so I ran."

"I got to your house late. Grace told me and I went to look for you. I was scared."

"I ran so fast. I wanted it to end. I could hear him calling my name telling me all the things he said that night. I could feel his hands on me, his breathing…" Tears where falling silently down her face and his heart broke at the sight.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "You are safe now. I won't let him hurt you again. I promise."

_**xxxx**_

He woke up sweating. Standing up from his bed he walked to the bathroom and splashed some water over his face. It was hot… hotter than usual. Shaking the sleepy fog from his head, he realized that the AC wasn't working. He walked out of his room and walked down the stairs.

The night before he had a meeting with Francis, Quincy and Johnny, they finished up a plan to deal with Tony Morales once and for all. It was just a matter of time now he was going to pay for all the suffering he'd caused Elizabeth.

Reaching the bottom landing, Jason immediately noticed that all of the windows as well as the sliding doors that lead to the back patio where wide open. He heard the voices of women coming from the kitchen and his mouth twitched with the ghost of a smile when he noticed that they were singing.

He walked trough the swinging door that was held back by a chair and stopped at the sight of the two young women dancing around the kitchen.

"Para subir al cielo, para subir al cielo se necesita una escalera grande. Una escalera grande y otra chiquita ay arriba y arriba. Ay arriba y arriba por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere..."

"Bamba, bamba. Bamba, bamba. Bamba, bamba..." Elizabeth joined Eva in the chorous.

"Para bailar la bamba, para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia. Una poca de gracia y otra cosita, ay arriba y arriba. Ay arriba y arriba..." Eva stopped her singing at the sight of her boss leaning on the doorjamb. Elizabeth was still dancing and laughing while she wrapped the sandwiches she had been making.

"Bamba, bamba. Bamba, bamba. Oh come on Eva. Sing it with me. Bamba, bam…"

Elizabeth did a twirl and came face to face with one Jason Morgan. She dropped her hands and stared at the blond Greek god standing in front of her half naked.

Jason was standing inside the kitchen wearing only a pair of blue shorts. His upper body completely uncovered giving Elizabeth an eye full of the well shaped muscles and washboard stomach. She felt the blush start at the base of her neck and crawl up to her cheeks.

"Go on. Don't stop on my account. I was just enjoying the show."

"I… We…"

He noticed that both girls were dressed in short shorts and bikini tops. He moved from his place and walked towards the island in the middle of the kitchen where the girls had set up a picnic basket filled with fruits and cheeses and bottle water and other goodies.

"This is an impressive…what exactly is this anyway?"

"That's our picnic." Eva said as she finished wrapping a tray filled with brownies.

"Picnic?"

"Yeah, as in food to eat while having a day out on the beach."

"So you guys are planning a trip to the beach."

"It's way too hot to stay inside. And since we have the ocean as a back yard we decided to hit the water." Elizabeth was packing the sandwiches now.

"If I remember correctly you work here, and you should be heading home."

"Yeah well, I'm taking a day off."

"And I'm not going home." Elizabeth said her face devoid of any emotion. "At least not until the Webbers leave."

He noticed the playfulness leave her features so he went back to the original topic. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You guys are just going to pick up and leave, then."

"We are not going alone if that's what you don't want to ask." Elizabeth said as she finished with the last of the picnic.

Before Jason could ask, he heard the foot steps reach the kitchen.

"Wow! Did you guys planned on feeding and army or what?" Francis walked through the door. Everyone in the kitchen looked at him and he asked intrigued. "What?"

"You are wearing Bermuda shorts." Elizabeth pointed out with a laugh.

"I know what I'm wearing honey. I dress myself, you know."

"But you always wear suits. And look at you all carefree, wearing sandals and an opened shirt bearing your goods to the world." The younger woman teased the older guard mercilessly while Eva stood there in a daze, admiring his physic.

"Well is not my fault I woke up in a sauna instead of a house. And besides we are going to the beach. The sand and the salt would ruin my Italian tailored suits."

"So you are on this too? What I'm I the only one that wasn't invited?"

Elizabeth laughed out loud. "Feeling left out?"

"A bit jealous are we?"

"I'm not jealous, or feeling left out."

"If you start pouting I'm so going to tell. The guys will have a blast." Francis added.

"What's this pick on Jason day?"

"No this is 'pick on the one that didn't check on the air conditioner before it broke' day."

"Oh so it's my fault that the heat fried the wires?"

"Okay, kids cut it out. We better leave or we won't get a good spot. Come on." Elizabeth grabbed her bag and pointed at Jason to pick the basket. She ignored the looks she earned from the three older people in the room and started her walk out of the kitchen the others simply laughed and followed.

_**xxxx**_

As they kicked of their day at the beach they listened to the news and learned that a heat wave was over the Island. The temperature peaked at 115 degrees.

They spend all day lounging around in the sand, playing volleyball and swimming on the ocean. They had a great time together and most important of all Elizabeth was laughing.

She was laughing, he thought as he watched her playing volleyball with Francis. He'd never seeing her that carefree and happy before. He thought she might still be afraid and scared after what had happened the day before, but she wasn't. He knew she wasn't pretending, she really was having a good time and he was thrilled.

Francis won the game and they made their way to the towels where Jason was sitting and Eva was laying on her back.

"Come on big guy it's time for the big deep." Elizabeth tugged at Jason's arm but he didn't move.

"I don't want to go in the water. Why don't you ask Eva?"

"No. Don't ask Eva. She's perfectly content laying under the sun getting a perfect tan." Eva said from her place on the towel.

"Oh come on Jason. You've been sitting there all day. It'll be refreshing."

"Refreshing she says. That water is almost boiling hot."

"You are such a drama queen." She placed her hands on her hips.

"That's an adjective you don't hear people calling you often." Francis said with a laugh as he took a gulp from a bottle of water.

"Come on Jason, please."

She was wearing a plum color bikini and her hair was curly around her sun kissed face, he looked at her again and he realized that there was nothing in the world he could deny her. He stood up and she squealed in delight.

"Yey! Let's go."

They walked into the ocean side by side. When the water was up to Elizabeth's thighs, she stumbled and Jason held her close. With his arm around her waist, the loud thumping of his heart and the battle of butterflies in her stomach they made it deeper inside the water.

As soon as they were both steady, he dropped his hand from her waist. Elizabeth smiled and started to play with the water playfully. She submerged and swam away from him. Jason couldn't keep his eyes away from her. When she came back her hair was back and droplets of water were running down her face. She smiled again.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do anything."

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"You are a mind reader?"

"No. But I know you more than you think Mr. Morgan. Even when you think you haven't done anything, you have. I know that being out on the beach, playing volleyball and doing all this kids stuff is not your cup of tea."

"I like the beach and I don't mind playing around doing kids stuff as you call it. Not when it brings that big smile to your lips and that beautiful shine to your eyes."

"I needed this."

"I know."

He saw the dark cloud trying to take over her so he did the only thing he could to make her forget. She was surprised as she felt the water on her face. Laughing loudly she started to splash water at him back and soon they were on a full on war.

Back on the shore Francis and Eva watched them with curious eyes.

"They've become close friends haven't they?"

"Yes, they have."

"They look good together, don't they?"

"Eva, don't get any ideas on that beautiful head of yours. Elizabeth and Jason are just friends. She's just a kid."

"Yeah, well… we'll see about that."


	16. Too Many Reasons to Count

**Chapter 16: Too Many Reasons to Count**

Jeff and Steven Webber sat quietly inside the rundown bar. The stench of weeks old grease mixed with cigar smoke burning on their refined nostrils. They wore black sunglasses trying to look inconspicuous around the old fellows playing dominoes and the two women sitting at the bar wearing bright pink lipstick and leopard print skirts. As soon as the young man walked inside the bar, everyone noticed his arrival. The song that was coming out of the small radio sitting on a stool at a corner was in the middle of a Spanish guitar interlude and the men playing dominoes at the back became silent all of the sudden.

He walked to where the two men sat uncomfortably and waited for them to stand up to greet him. When they didn't he smiled and bowed his head. Two guards dressed in black walked inside the door and stood opposite their boss.

"Buenos Dias. To what do I owe this honor?"

"Don't even try to be funny. We are not here to socialize with you."

"Then what are you doing here Mr. Webber?"

"WE are here, because you botched our plan and we want an explanation." Steven said in between clenched teeth.

"Webber Jr... I didn't noticed you sitting there." A sarcastic smile appeared on Tony Morales face.

"You two bit..." Jeff lifted his hand and stopped Steven's words.

"Enough. We need to talk, Morales. You weren't supposed to walk into my house last night. That wasn't the plan."

The younger man sat back on the aluminum chair. With a race of his eyebrows he asked for a drink and a minute later one of his guards walked up to him and brought him a cold Medalla (beer). After taking a drink he spoke.

"I was suppose to go to her last night and I did."

"You were supposed to scare her later that night, when she was alone."

"I had other things to do. Besides the little brat was scared either way."

"Yes, she was. But our plan was compromised. Everyone saw you, they know you tried to attack her and they called the cops last night."

"I'm not scared of the cops."

"Maybe you should be."

"Or maybe you should be scared of Jason Morgan."

"What about Morgan?" After hearing the name the smug smile on the Puerto Rican's face faltered.

A triumphant smile appeared on Steven's face. "My dear sister seems to be really close with Jason Morgan. We still don't know when they met, but he is very possessive about her. He didn't like the fact that you dropped by to see her last night."

"Morgan doesn't intimidate me."

"We'll he should. She called early this morning saying she wasn't coming home in a few days. That will make our plan a bit more difficult."

"We have a contract and I honor my word."

"The will is due to arrive in a few days. We don't have much time so you'll have to move fast and careful around Morgan. We can't get mixed up in this."

"You won't. I know how to do my job."

"You didn't last time. Don't try to get creative this time around. We want her scared and helpless not raped of killed."

"I get it."

"We'll get in touch soon to detail the next move."

With that both, father and son, stood from the table and walked out of he bar.

"Oh I'll do whatever you want but first Lizzie still has a debt to pay. She owes me and I'm going to collect."

It was late in the afternoon and the sun was stating to set. Francis and Eva had gone back to the house on the pretext of wanting something to eat, but Elizabeth knew better. They just wanted to be alone for a while. She and Jason stayed behind because she wanted to see the sunset.

The beach that was filled with people a mere hour ago had started to empty little by little and know only a few people here and there were left. Elizabeth was sitting on a towel. Her hair picked up with a clip, her hands wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her drawn up knees. She was marveling on the spectacle of light and color that was painting the sky. The ocean was a light blue color up to the horizon where the sky and the water met in a thin dark blue line. The orange light of the setting sun illuminated the water and bounced back creating shades of pinks, blues and purples that filled the sky.

She was deep inside the dance of light and color, submerged in a world of her own, so much so that she didn't noticed the man standing a few feet away. He admired her concentration as much as it bothered him. She had the ability to redraw into her own world which was good for her aspirations as an artist, but that ability could be deadly. If she wasn't aware or careful she could get hurt. He knew it was his place to protect her as long as she would let him.

As long as she would let him, he would protect her. That was his promise to her and she had nothing to fear. He made his way closer to where she was sitting. Silently he grabbed an ice cube from a plastic cup that she had forgotten a while ago. A mischievous sideways smile appeared on his lips as he walked closer to her.

The drop of cold water hit the back of her neck and she jumped at the contact of cold over hot skin. The intake of breath only made him laugh out loud. Soon the almost melted ice cube was sliding down her bare back. She straighten quickly and turned around in time to see him laughing.

"You are so going to regret that!" She stood up and started to walk toward him, but for every step she took forward he moved backwards.

"What exactly are you going to do about it, kid?" He asked amused.

"Oh you don't want to know Morgan."

"You'll have to catch me first."

"Are you implying I can't?"

"No."

"Good."

"I'm not implying, I'm telling you."

"We'll see about that." Her slow walk turned into a full run and as quickly he turned around and took off.

It was close to five minutes and more than a hundred feet of distance between Elizabeth and him that he looked back and saw her still running even as the distance kept growing. He slowed down his pace until he came to a complete stop. She was still running toward him. He admire her enthusiasm and determination too. He knew she wouldn't give up. Still breathing hard, he bent down to take a breather. Huge mistake.

Elizabeth saw him stop and she smiled inwardly. She wasn't going to give up. She pulled strength from somewhere deep inside and ran faster. Soon she was close, but her momentum was too much to stop.

He stood up to find her coming straight at him and a moment later the impact was enough to push him back. They fell together and rolled down to the sand a couple of times before Jason could stop them.

Elizabeth was trapped beneath him. She could feel his strong muscles pinning her to the warm sand and she tried to breath in and out. His body was lying over hers connecting them from knees to shoulders, bare and warm skin over bare warm skin. It was getting difficult to breath as she got even more aware of their compromising position.

Jason had his head to her right shoulder. His arms around her protectively. When he finally moved his head to look at her he found her big blue eyes open.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? That was a pretty bad fall."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

He was talking to her from a mere inch away, what did he wanted from her? She hadn't been this close to a man before, at least not one that she wanted to kiss as badly. What was that? Since when do I want to kiss him? Oh God! What is going on with me? He was a friend, just a friend. A drop dead gorgeous, blue eyes friend built like a Greek god...She had to be affected by the closeness, she was only human.

He watched as she struggled with herself. She had her eyes close and was biting her bottom lip. From his point of view that bottom lip did seem kind of inviting. What was that? That thought didn't just cross his mind... he looked down at her again and sighed. Maybe it did. Having her this close was doing things to him he shouldn't be feeling. She was a kid, a friend and nothing more so get your mind out of the gutter Morgan. But what a beautiful kid she was, her big expressive eyes, soft wavy hair and that mouth...

A huge alarm went off in both their heads. DANGER!

Jason was the first one to step back. He sat back on his knees and pulled her up on a sitting position.

"Are you sure you're okay? I didn't hurt you did I?"

"I'm okay, was a little out of breath there but I'm good now."

"Good. I guess is time to go back to the house then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Jason stood up and offered her a hand. Elizabeth smiled and stood. She started to clean the sand off of herself. When she missed a spot near her eyebrow Jason thoughtfully wiped the area slowly.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

They were standing face to face and when they heard the clearing of a troat, they both looked to the side.

Eva was dressed in a white linen pareo and matching bikini top and was smiling a wicked grin as she made her way toward them.

"Hey, I was on my way to look for you. Marcos called. He asked if you were coming to his house tonight."

"Why?"

"He was right."

"Right about what?" Elizabeth was as clueless as Jason.

"There's a party at his place tonight. He said he told you about it like a month ago. It's their anniversary."

"Oh, that. I guess I forgot about it."

"You did? Oh my! You never forget things like that? I can't believe you did such a thing?" Eva's aggravated expression and sarcastic words made Jason scowl and Elizabeth laugh.

"Something funny?" He asked her seriously.

"No. Not at all." She tried to keep from laughing but it was impossible. She loved the way Eva unnerved Jason with her antics.

"Come on. We have to get ready." She grabbed Elizabeth by the hand and pulled her with her.

"We? That sounded like an awful lot of people."

"Yes, we. Francis is already in the shower. I found the perfect dress for you, Elizabeth."

"Oh, no wait I wasn't invited."

"Yes you were. I talked to Barbara. She was thrilled that you were coming. Oh and Jason, she said that everyone had to wear white. Good luck finding something besides bleached out jeans." With that Eva and Elizabeth took off from his view.

They waited impatiently until finally, the doors to the house opened.

"So, what did he say?"

"Are we in trouble?"

"Why would we be in trouble?" Jeff asked his oldest daughter. "He's the one that commits the crimes."

"Then what? Is he going to keep cooperating or his he backing out?" Caroline asked from her place on the sofa as she drank from her martini glass.

"He said he'll do it. But I don't trust him. What's our guarantee that he won't turn on us?"

"He's scared shitless of Morgan. He'll do what he was paid to do and he'll be careful not to get caught."

"But what if he tries to hurt Lizzie again? You didn't ask him to do it did you?" Sarah asked.

"That was never the plan, but if it's the only way to get her out of the way..."

"You wouldn't be such a monster as to actually allow that goon to put his hands on your daughter would you?" Steven was outraged at the thought.

"I'll rather have her out of the way than lose all those millions. So if that's the only way, so be it."

"You can't be serious." Sarah said surprised at her father's words.

"Oh come on you two. Don't tell me got a conscience attack all of the sudden? The important thing is to get her committed and out of the way. And if that's the only way to do it, so be it."

"So now we just wait and see." Added Caroline before taking her last drink from the glass.

Marcos and Barbara's house was in a beautiful town on the mountains. It was close enough to the city to be on time to work on the weekdays and far enough to be secluded and quiet on the weekends. The gate was marked in beautiful archways and a cobblestone road lead to the main entrance of the house. A huge oak door with a beautiful design in yellow color glass opened as they stepped out of the black Durango.

Barbara was wearing a beautiful set of white capri pants in linen and a halter blouse with a knitted design of an open flower on the left side. Her hair was pinned back on a delicate twist and she was wearing a huge smile on her face. Marcos was stood beside her his arm wrapped around her waist. He was wearing a white guayabera and light creme color dress pants. They looked happy and in love.

Francis helped Eva out of the car trying to cover her long legs that were visible to everybody as she tried to stood up, because of the long slit of the pareo she was wearing. Her devious smile was contagious as both Barbara and Marcos laughed at Francis' frown. Soon they were both standing near the married couple extending their congratulations.

Elizabeth was somewhat apprehensive. She didn't know what she was doing there and least of all dresses like she was. She looked all wrong. White wasn't her color, but Eva had almost bribed her into wearing the dress and now here she was. Jason helped her out of the car, but she couldn't really look a him right now. She was still embarrassed at her thoughts earlier that afternoon and having him this close and looking so devastatingly good was not helping much. He was wearing a white button down shirt and a pair of khaki color pants.

He walked a couple of feet behind her. What was wrong with him? Why was his stomach all of the sudden a mass of knots around her? What had changed in her from two days ago? He wasn't sure what was happening. The only thing he knew for sure was that she looked beautiful tonight.

Her hair was straight again, her bangs over her forehead though she'll probably would sweep them to the side soon enough so they won't get on her eyes. A red tropical flower was pinned on the side of her head. Her face was now a soft pink because of her exposure to the sun all day and the soft make up accented her eyes and lips. The white halter dress she was wearing fell to mid calf and did nothing to conceal her curves. Her back was exposed both by the dress and the bathing suit she was wearing underneath. White open toe sandals finished her attire.

"Bienvenidos a la casa de los Díaz!" Marcos said once the greetings were done.

"Thank you for inviting us." Eva said delighted.

"Thank you for being here with us." Barbara said sincerely.

Elizabeth smiled and then she remembered something. She whirled around, ran to the car and took the gift she and Eva had picked out for Barbara and Marcos on their way over. Getting back to where everyone was now looking at her she blushed.

"I forgot your gift."

"Oh sweetheart. You shouldn't have."

"It's from all of us actually. Eva and I picked it up. We didn't know how many years you are celebrating so we decided on wood. I hope you like it."

She gave them the rectangular box she was caring. The married couple opened the box together and found a smaller rectangular box inside. They smiled as they realized their names were engraved on the lid. They opened it and it was a musical box, inside a note read:_"To love forevermore..." _

A tear escaped Barbara's eyes as she heard the notes to "Swan Lake" played from the box.

"This is beautiful."

"See what you two did. Now she's crying." Francis said feeling uncomfortable.

"It's okay Francis. I'm just a bit emotional. But come in. Let's go to the back yard."

The six of them made there way to the back yard and a sigh escaped Elizabeth's lips at the sight that greeted her. A huge yard was covered by round tables. The view was that of various mountains as a backdrop. Trees, flower beds and even a brick fountain adorned the place. People were dancing and a guitar trio was playing.

She was mesmerized by the fresh air and the camaraderie between the guests. It seemed as if they were all family. Children were running everywhere, couples were walking around or dancing close together. She's never seen anything like it before.

They sat on a table that was marked for them and Marco and Barbara went on to talk to other arrivals.

They enjoyed the music, the food and the company. Eva and Francis started to dance soon after they arrived. Francis was not a dancer, but it seemed he was willing to do anything for Eva. Elizabeth and Jason talked and learned more about each other. The conversation flowed easily between them and the silence was not overwhelming.

When a sad_ bolero _started to play, Jason noticed that Elizabeth was swaying softly with the music. For some reason he couldn't explain he felt the urge to ask her to dance, even though no one was on the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance?"

The invitation took her by surprise. "Oh, no is okay. You don't have to ask me to dance. I know you are not fond of dancing. And there's a lot of people here. I'm okay."

He stood up and offer her his hand. "Please, dance with me Elizabeth."

If there was a doubt in her mind, now she was convinced. Jason Morgan was the sweetest most caring man in the world, and looking at him standing under the monlight offering his hand to her was the last on a very long list of reasons why... She was falling in love with him.

_**Reloj, no marques las horas,  
porque voy a enloquecer,  
ella se irá para siempre,  
cuando amanesca otra vez. **_

(Clock don't tell time,

because I might go crazy,

She'll be gone forever,

when tomorrow comes.)

They walked hand in hand to the dance floor and he wrapped his arm around her delicate waist, bringing her closer to him. His other arm was bent up and found hers as they started to sway to the music.

_**  
No más, nos queda esta noche,  
para vivir nuestro amor,  
y tu tic-tac me recuerda,  
mi irremediable dolor. **_

(We only have tonight,

to live our love,

and your tic-tac reminds me,

the painful pain I'll suffer.)

Elizabeth was concentrating really hard on the lyrics so her body wouldn't rect to Jason's touch.

"Something wrong?"

She looked at him then. "No. It's just that he is sad."

"Who is?" Jason asked with a raced eyebrow.

"The singer... he's losing her and he doesn't want her to leave."

"Oh... yeah. He's asking the clock to stop so the night goes on forever because his beloved is leaving the next morning."

**_Reloj, detén tu camino,  
porque mi vida se acaba,  
ella es la estrella que alumbra mi ser, yo sin su amor  
no soy nada._**

(Clock stop,

because my life is about to end,

she's the star that brightens my whole being, and without her love

I'm nothing.)

"He feels he's going to die without her..." Elizabeth said as her eyes watered.

"He won't." Was the only answer Jason provided.

Elizabeth's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I think a part of you dies when love ends."

"It doesn't."

_**Detén el tiempo en tus manos, has esta noche perfecta,  
para que nunca se vaya de mi,  
para que nunca amanesca.**_

(Stop time in your hands,

make this night perfect,

so she never leaves me,

so the sun never raises.)

It was then that Elizabeth realized that Jason was not as relax as he was when they started dancing and then she remembered... he had broken up with Robin almost a year ago. She cursed herself for making him uncomfortable.

"Jason, I'm sorry. I didn't realized what I was saying. I know that you and Robin..."

His mind was lightyears from Robin, until the name had him crashing back to reality. God, what was happening to him?

"Let's not talk about that, now."

"But..."

He dropped her arm and motioned for her to be quiet. Then he wrapped both arms around her waist. She placed her arms on his shoulders and rested her head on his chest. They danced in silence the rest of the song.

**_  
Detén el tiempo en tus manos,  
has esta noche perfecta.  
para que nunca se vaya, para que nunca...amanesca!_**

Barbara, Marcos, Eva and Francis were standing to the side mesmerized by the comfort and intimacy of the couple on the dance floor. Eva was the only one smiling. She nudge Francis with her elbow and whispered on his ear.

"Told you."

"They are just dancing."

"Are you blind? Are you not seeing the sparks?"

"I'm worried." Barbara said to no one in particular.

"Don't be. She's just a child, he won't fall for her." Her husband tried to reassure her.

"Eva is right Marcos... there are sparks and as much as it pains me to admit it, they look right together."

_**Song Credit: Reloj by Luis Miguel **_


	17. The Letter

_A/N: Hello everyone! I know my updating sucks right now, but I'm a very busy chica and life is just crazy right now. You all can thank Naomi (mssnay) for this one... (yes, you) ...because your replies and little masseges of support for this story makes me want to write an hurry with the updates. THANK YOU for your support, it means a lot. For everyone who's reading and enjoying this thank you too, it really means a lot to me. So enough with the mushy stuff. Here's the next one. Hope you enjoy it._

* * *

**Chapter 17: The Letter **

Three days after the party, Elizabeth was still staying at Jason's house. But he wasn't. Early monday morning, she woke up to find a very worried Eva sitting at the breakfast table. Something had come up and Jason and Francis had to leave early. She didn't have to say anything, Elizabeth understood easily that it wasn't Casino business but the other kind. The kind that was ilegal, the kind that could take their lives...

Taking a deep breath Elizabeth concentrated on the mexican telenovela she was watching, instead of panicking yet again she had to be strong for Eva and for Jason. The Puerto Rican was worried about Francis, even when she tried to deny it, she had fallen for the burly bodyguard. Eva wanted to be strong too, but she was failing miserably. Cooped up in the kitchen for the past three days, she'd been cooking all kinds of delicious food. If she kept at it, Elizabeth was sure enough going to end up bloating up like a cow by the end of the week.

Jason and Francis had come home twice over the past seventy-two hours. They've gone into the studio for a couple of hours, taken brief showers and gone back out. But not before checking on both Elizabeth and Eva before leaving. Elizabeth didn't want to feel worried about their well being, but it was difficult not to. If something happened to Francis or Jason...

"Enough of it already! You've been going around the same thing all day!" Frustrated, Elizabeth lower the volume on the tv set and dropped the control remote.

"Never been much of a couch potato."

The sweet voice made Elizabeth jump from her place and turn around. Grace and Manuel were standing in the living room with huge smiles on their faces.

"Grace!" Elizabeth ran to the older woman's open arms. They embraced tightly for couple of minutes before letting go.

"How are you doing, Elizabeth?"

"I'm fine. But don't you stand there. Come here, sit down. You too Manuel."

The three of them took a seat. Grace was sitting down next to Elizabeth and held her hand between hers.

"Is Jason around?"

"No. He's been out on business for the past three days."

"So you are alone?" Manuel asked a slight frown forming on his brow.

A smile spread across Elizabeth's lips. "I'm not alone, Manuel. You don't have to worry about me. Eva is staying with me and as you guys probably noticed there are two gurds outside."

"That's not reasuring at all. Why would he leave two young women alone? I thought he was trustworthy..."

"Manuel, will you stop. They are doing fine." Grace interrupted her husband and turned to Elizabeth.

"You must feel pretty safe here, if you stayed even after Jason was gone."

"I do. I feel safe and at peace here. It's like a safe heaven. I'm sorry I've stayed away for so long, but I can't go back there while they are there. I can't face them."

"It's okay child. We understand. They've made themselves at home and taken over as if nothing has happened. Not caring about what harm it may have caused you."

"Maybe I'm overreacting. I mean it wasn't their fault that he showed up in my house."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Manuel murmured, loud enough for Elizabeth to hear.

"What? What do you mean?" All color drained from Elizabeth's face.

"Don't mind him. He's just paranoid."

"No he's not, Grace. Manuel, what did you mean by that? Do you think... do you... think... oh my God... oh my." Elizabeth stood up and clenched her hand over her stomach. She felt vile rising to her throat and she started to shake.

Manuel stood up and walked toward Elizabeth, quickly taking her in his arms. Tears were forming in her eyes and her mouth was hanging open. Runing a hand soothingly over her back, he tried to fix his mistake.

"Child, I'm sorry I said anything. I'm just blindsided by rage. Those people don't deserve to have a kid like you. They may be scum, but I'm sure they wouldn't fall as low as to hurt their daughter in such an awful way."

A tear fell rom her cerulean orbs as she closed them and tried to breath again. Once she stopped shaking he let her go. Elizabeth dried her face and looked up.

"I don't trust them and I don't think I love them at all. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No honey, it only makes you human." Grace walked closer to Elizabeth and stopped at her side placing her arm over the girl's shoulders.

> > >

They were done. After the cleanup crew finished with the mess inside the warehouse, Jason was ready to go home.

Three days of running around staking the enemy and no sleep at all had taken a toll on him. He needed a cold shower and his cozy bed, but most of all he needed to see Elizabeth. He needed to know that she was safe.

He walked out of the warehouse and the bright sun heated his skin. He was sweating through his leather jacket and gloves. He took the leather gloves from his hands and placed them in his pockets. Cleaning the sweat of his brow with his hand he turned at the sound of his name.

"Jason."

"Yeah."

"The guys are done."

"Yeah, I know."

"Francis is talking to Saul. They have the information in place for the next bust."

"Okay. I called Sonny. He needs you and Quincy back tonight."

"I'll finish up and head to the airport."

"Thanks for everything and take care."

They shook hands and Johnny walked away. Turning away, Jason came face to face with Francis.

"It's over. Saul and Harvey are on their way. Quincy took the files and the cleanup crew is gone."

"Johnny and Quincy will be on the first plane out to Port Charles. We need to make contact with our man in Miami. Morales has been too quiet and Tony has been sloppy in his deals. Things are not adding up."

"I'll take care of that."

The older bodyguard ran his hand over his face and once he looked up, the fatigue was evident in his eyes. Before Jason could say anything, Johnny and Quincy came out of the warehouse followed closely by Marcos.

"We are ready." Quincy's cheerful expression never seem to drain and it pissed all of them of.

"How can you be smiling after the longest stake out we've had since...?" Marcos was tired and he wanted to go home.

"Since Ralf 'the Ghoul'." Johnny said with aversion.

"Damn that was long. Two and a half days inside a graveyard." Francis added.

A smirk rose on Jason's lips. "Try three and a half days in a wasteyard."

"I remember that. You reeked of blue cheese and onions for weeks." Johnny said with a laugh and making the others laugh with him.

"I think it's time for me to head home or the wife will be pissed like nobody's business."

"Tell me about it. That Barbara is one spitfire of a woman."

"O'Brian, don't let her hear you saying that or it'll be one hell of bruise on your jaw. Barbara is a die hard feminist."

"Yeah and born and raced in the business too." Francis finished.

"Take good care of her, Marcos. She's a good one." Johnny said as he hugged the older man.

"You take care too. It was a good having you guys here for a while. Q it was nice to meet you and welcome to the family." With that Marcos left.

"And then there were two."

"Oh come on. You all know you'll miss Jason the most. Those long talks and great sense of humor..." Francis joked a bit.

"Speak for yourself. You are the favorite now, leaving in his house and all."

"Are you jelouse O'B?"

"Let's just say that it has nothing to do with being near Morgan and more to do with the sassy young thing called Eva."

Francis face turned red and serious.

"Oh, he stopped smiling. That's serious stuff right there. I'm sure Eva has been cooking some sweet things for Francis." Quincy said laughing at the older bodyguard.

"Hey rookie, you better cut it out." All playfulness left Quincy's face at his bosses words. Jason's face betrayed nothing.

"It was just a joke, man. I mean Francis, I mean Mister... Sir."

Francis couldn't help but laugh at the youngest one of the group. "You'll have your hands full with this one Johnny. Try to keep him out of trouble in New York."

"Yeah, like that's going to be possible. He's a good kid, he'll learn fast."

"That wasn't funny and I'm not a kid." He wasn't smiling now.

"It's time to leave. If you guys need something you know where to find us."

They said their good-byes and soon there were only Francis and Jason left alone once more.

"I'll go take care of the Miami thing." Francis said.

"No, Francis."

"Why not?"

"Because we are going home."

> > >

"I won't be going home anytime soon."

"We understand, child."

"We do, but do you think is smart for a young girl to be living with a grown man?"

Elizabeh smiled with care and warmth. She took Manuel's old hands in her smaller ones. "I know you are worried about my well-being and my honor. But you don't have to. I'm safe here. Jason will take good care of me. He's a good man and a good friend."

"Besides she's not alone with him. I'll look out for her honor, don't you worry about it." Eva said as she walked down the stairs.

"Eva, darling. How is your grandfather doing?" Grace asked the Puerto Rican.

"He's doing much better now that grandma Teresa is there with him."

"That's good, darling. So you've been taking care of this little brat then."

Eva smiled and winked at Elizabeth. "I think she's been taking care of me instead of the other way around. You don't have to worry about her she can hold her own."

"We know she can. We've seen her do it since she came home three years ago. But Manuel and I still feel responsible..."

"You don't have to." Elizabwth said softly.

"Yes we do." Grace embraced her again, this time as a caring mother would.

"I love you."

"I love you too, child. And we'll keep an eye on the vultures until you come back."

"You two take good care."

"Come on woman. It's time to go back or they'll start wodering about our disappearance."

"You are right." Grace picked up her knitted bag and a yellow legal envelope was showing. "Oh, I almost forgot. This came for you today. I managed to get the mail before Mrs. Webber woke up. They've been pretty intrested in the mail ever since you left. This was adressed to you. I think is important."

Elizabeth frowned and took the large envelope from Grace and thanked her. The said their goodbyes and soon they were alone once again.

Elizabeth was standing in the middle of the room her eyes on the envelope in her hand.

"Are you going to open it or simply look at it as if it were written in Greek."

"What?" Elizabeth looked up to find a grievous Eva looking back at her.

"Open the damn thing already, girl. There's not much else to do..."

The door opened then to reveal two very weary men standing just inside of the house. Both girls turned around and were stunned to see them standing there.

"You are back!" Eva was the first one to snap out of it. She ran straight pass Jason and into Francis arms.

Elizabeth was still standing in the middle of the room as Jason took a couple steps closer. Their eyes met and he saw relief shining in her blue eyes. Eyes that brought peace to him.

She noticed his tensed shoulders and fatigued eyes. She couldn't help but smile. Soon she drop the envelope in the coffee table and walked the remaining steps between them. Her arms were around his waist and she was hugging him tightly. He rested his head over hers and embraced her too.

> > >

The sun was begining to set in as she finished washing the dishes. Her smile had been permanent ever since Jason and Francis had walked through the door safe and sound. They had barely said a few words after they had come home. They asked about how they were doing and if there had been news. Once they were convinced that everything was fine, both decided to take a shower. Not together as Eva had started to joke.

The girls had managed to make a delicious meal in less than an hour treating them to a very delicious lasagna, salad and garlic bread. After dinner Eva and Francis excused themselves and went for a walk out to the beach, while Elizabeth offered to pick up the table and do the dishes. Jason on the other hand had some calls he needed to make and went inside his office almost half an hour ago.

Once the kitchen was spotless Elizabeth decided to make some coffee. She wanted to go talk to Jason. About what she didn't know. She just needed to be around him, she'd been scared for him and she wanted to make sure that he was okay.

Walking toward his office slowly and almost turning around twice, she decided to knock.

"Come in." His voice was hoarse, fatigue clear even in his tone.

Elizabeth stepped inside and closed the door, careful not to spill the hot liquid on the floor. She was barefoot, so she hardly made a noise as she walked closer to the desk.

He looked up from the papers he was inspecting and found her nervously biting on her bottom lip.

"I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to bring you some coffee. I thought you might like some, 'cause you always drink it when you work. And when you don't too, but mostly at night when you are in here. And since Eva is not around I thought maybe I would bring you some... coffee. I already said that didn't I?"

Jason couldn't help but smile at her. She seemed so innocent and fragile. But she wasn't fragile at all, most people would have caved at the things she's had to endure so far with her family, but she had kept strong. She was capable an independant, but still a bit shy and unsure of herself.

He dropped the pen in his hand and sat up straight. "Thank you. But you didn't have to."

"I wanted to."

He reached for the cup and took a sip.

"I'm not sure if it's as good as Eva's. But I tried."

"It's good. Really good actually."

She turned the slightest shade of pink. But he still noticed. He saw her move from one feet to the other not knowing what else to say or do.

"Well..." They spoke at the same time.

"You go ahead." As they spoke at the same time again both broke into laughs.

"What were you going to say?" He asked as he sat back on his leather chair.

"I was just going to excuse myself. You must be pretty busy."

"No. Don't go. I was just tying up some last minute things about..." He trailed of.

"Business." She said matter of factly.

"Yes."

"I won't ask what you did for the past three days."

"Good. Because even if you asked, I wouldn't answer."

"I know you can't talk about it. And I also know it's dangerous."

"It's very dangerous Elizabeth. I'm still not sure you should know about what I do for a living."

Taking a few steps closer, she sat on the chair across from him. She crossing her legs indian style.

"I know what you do for a living Mr. Morgan. You are co-owner of Corinthos-Morgan Enterprises. You own half of the coffee warehouses, including the coffee beans, and half of all the casinos and hotels." She smiled up at him.

Jason sighed and drop the empty cup on the desk. "You know I didn't mean that part of the business."

"I know. I just want to know one thing."

"And what's that?"

"I just want to know that you are okay."

Jason heart jumped from it's place and almost out of his chest. She was meeting his gaze and worry was written all over her face. Looking at her now he could see that she had been troubled by his absence and the impending danger he was facing. Her eyes became claudy with unshed tears and his throat was turned into a knot making it impossible for him to talk.

"I promise myself that I wouldn't tell you this, but I will. Because I want you to know. I was scared Jason. I... you are very important to me and I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." She finished in a low voice and tears running down her cheeks.

Jason stood up and walked towards her, kneeling right in front of her chair. He dried the tears away, but kept his hand on her face. "Don't cry because of me, Elizabeth."

A sob escaped her unpainted lips and she closed her eyes. "I'm s- sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have let you in. God, I'm an idiot." He stood up and walked to the window. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "I knew it was a mistake. I mean, you are just a kid. You have your whole life ahead of you, you have plans of seeing the world..."

Her tears had stopped and she was looking at him with curiosity. He was standing with his back to her and he seemed tense.

"That night at the lighthouse... I didn't know you, but I felt a pull towards you, even though I acted like a complete jerk. And then two years later, all of the sudden you walked into my life again. I could see you were hurting. I could see it in your eyes. You felt alone and you wanted to fill that void inside of you, that nothingness with something..."

"You helped me. You made me see that nowhere wasn't such a bad place after all."

Jason turned around to face her. "I was alone too. I needed someone to talk to. Someone who didn't judge me. I needed someone who wouldn't pull away from me because of what I am, what I do."

"You are not your job, Jason. That doesn't define who you are."

"But it does Elizabeth. You are just too young, too pure to actually understand what goes around in my world. I was selfish and I'm the one that's sorry."

She stood up and walked towards him stopping just a couple of feet away. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I don't want you worried and I don't want to see you cry. But most importantly I don't want you hurt. And it will happen sooner or later if we keep this up."

"Keep what up?"

"This..." He said motioning the space between them.

"This?" She said with a raced eyebrow and copying his action. "And what exactly is 'this'?"

Silence. He looked at her and couldn't believe his eyes. The small girl that a minute ago was crying and trembling because she was worried about his well-being was gone and in it's place was standing a fiery young woman. She stood in front of him one hand in each side of her hips. He was in deep trouble, but he had to stop this madness before it went too far. His decision was made.

"Friendship." He said it in an even tone.

Disappointment was all she could feel at that moment, but she wasn't going to let him see it. It had been stupid of her to think that a man like Jason would ever want a girl like her.

"Friendship, of course. So what? Are you throwing me out of your place, giving me my helmet back and not speaking to me again. Is that it?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Well that's what it sounded like."

"Elizabeth."

"Jason."

"Look, you are going through a difficult time right now. It's not fair for you to have to deal with my job on top of that."

"I decide what's fair for me."

They stared at each other again.

"You are really pigheaded, did you know?"

"I prefer brat. But suit yourself."

"Okay."

"Okay what? Your gonna call me brat too?"

A small smile appeared on his lips. "Pigheaded is fine with me."

"Then what did you mean?" The conversation turned from serious to playful.

"Okay I'll stop talking now and let you go to bed. It's late."

"So the discussion is over just like that?"

"We still have a lot to talk about. But I think it could wait for another time."

"Good." Elizabeth stepped away from him and started to turn off the lights.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it seem like I'm doing? Turning off the lights."

"I know, but why?"

"Because we are going to bed." A bright red blush spread all over her cheeks. "I mean we are not going to bed together. I am. And you are, because you must be really tired. But were not going to the same bed. I mean..."

"I know what you mean."

"Good. Let's go. You need to rest."

They walked together out of the office and through the living room. Elizabeth noticed the forgotten envelope on the coffee table and picked it up.

"What's that?"

"Grace brought it to me earlier today." They kept going up the stairs and down the hallway.

"Have you opened it yet?"

"No."

"You should see what it is. It's a legal document."

"How do you know that?" They stopped in front of her door.

"Sonny's lawyer sends me envelopes like that all the time. Documents, contracts..."

"Why would a lawyer send me a legal document?"

"You'll have to open that to find out."

She turned the big yellow envelope and opened it. "Let's see."

"You should do that alone. Good night Elizabeth."

She streched a hand and stopped him. "Don't go." She took out a piece of white paper and read out loud.

"Dear Miss. Elizabeth Webber. Congratulations on your eighteenth birthday. I hope you are doing well. Here I send you your grandmother's Last Will and testament. I also include a personal letter that she wrote for you..."

Her face turned pale as she finished reading the note. She took the smaller envelope and looked up at Jason with tears blurring her vision.

"It's from my Grams."


	18. Before the Storm

**Chapter 18: Before the Storm**

She turned on her side and placed her arm under her pillow. It was three in the morning and she still couldn't sleep. Opening her eyes, she looked at the envelope that was lying on her night table. Inside there was a letter written by her grandmother days before dying.

Elizabeth sat up in her bed and rested her back on the headboard. Why was she so afraid to read it? Why couldn't she just take out the paper and learn from the very own Audrey the truth?

"Because you are a damn coward, that's why." She took the envelope in her hands and opened it. Her hands were trembling . . . A tear ran down her face. "I can't do it."

>>

Eva woke up early as usual. Her face was void of emotion as she scrambled some eggs. The sun was shining on the small waves that crashed on the surf. And Francis was coming out of the water, like a mythological being would. His short blond hair was dripping droplets of water down his face and straight down his chest. And what a chest too . . . God he was gorgeous. And she was the stupidest woman on Earth.

_The waves bathed the sand and the moon was all the lighting they needed. They were laying on a blanket together as if they were the only two human beings on the face of the Earth. He was loving her mouth and waking up feelings inside her that she once thought she never could feel. Smooth and slow motions brought a strong heat to settle on the pit of her stomach. His hands were exploring her body bit by bit. First her shoulders, her arms, her thighs . . . _

_She forgot herself in him and it was the most delicious sensation she had ever experienced. Soon their tongues were dancing together in a primitive rhythm that made her feel as if she were floating. Then she felt him running his hands up her thighs and she snapped back to reality. She wanted more, so much more and it scared her. _

_Breaking the kiss she pushed him back and sat up. Still breathing heavily. _

"_What's wrong?" _

"_I- I can't."_

_His expression was unreadable. "W-why? Did I scare you? Did I do something wrong?" _

"_Oh no. You did everything soooo right." _

_He leaned closer and took her lips on a quick kiss. "Then what is it?" _

"_I- I'm just not ready." She stood up and looked back at him with tears shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry." And she ran inside of the house without looking back._

"EVA!"

The smell of burnt eggs brought her back and the loud yell made her turn around. There she found a very angry Jason Morgan.

"What?"

"What? You almost burned the house down and all you have to say is what?" He walked closer and turned the water on and placed the scorched skillet under it.

"I'm sorry. I was distracted. I..."

"No kidding."

Francis walked inside the house and the reek of burning food made him wrinkle his nose in distaste. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and his swimming trunks. "What happened in here?"

"You'll have to ask your girlfriend that." Jason said tersely, still cleaning the mess.

Eva looked up to find Francis' gaze lingering somewhere above her head. He couldn't even look at her. So much for their special connection. Without another word she turned around and ran out of the kitchen.

>>

He was sitting on his usual table inside his rundown bar a cold Medalla (beer) in his hands. The two guards were giving him the information he had asked.

"She's still staying with Morgan. There's another woman with them and the bodyguard too. We found two guards that constantly follow the women, but more times than not Morgan and Caruso are with them."

"What about the Webbers?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. They've been keeping a low profile since the last meeting." The second guard added.

"Good job. Let me know the moment Elizabeth goes out alone so I can put my plan into motion."

"We'll do it, sir. How about your brother? What do we tell him the next time he calls?"

"Tell him I'm taking care of a personal problem, and that if things go as plan I'll manage to help him out with a thorn he's had in his side for a while."

>>

"Why don't we go to the mall and have lunch on a nice restaurant?" Sarah inquired from her place in the lounge in front of the pool.

"That's a nice idea. I'll call your father and brother and ask them to join us. We still have some things to discuss about Lizzie."

"Okay, I'll go change."

>>

Elizabeth was sitting on the ottoman still holding the letter from her grandmother. She woke up early and tried to do some sketching, praying to find the courage to read what her grandmother had written to her. She couldn't eat, nor sketch. She was too anxious to do anything except look at the envelope in her hand.

"Come on Webber. You have to do this. You've waited five years for an answer and now here you have something that might clue you in on what happened. Just do it."

She stood up and walked to the balcony. The light breeze played with her hair, taking in the light smell of the ocean and clean air. She tore the envelope open and took out the papers and unfolded them.

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_If you are reading this letter it means you've just turned 18 years of age and that I've passed away before I could see you turn into the beautiful young woman I'm sure you are. _

_First of all I have to apologize for lying to you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my health problems until it was too late. You were so young my dear, I just couldn't cloud your innocence with something so terrible as death. But if there's one thing I don't regret is spending my last years taking care of you._

_Secondly, there are things you must know. Things that might be going on as we speak and that might affect you without you even knowing about it. I know it's not my place to tell you, but I'm sure that they would never say it, in the hopes that they can manipulate you into doing what they want. _

_My last husband Tom Hardy was a very rich man. He had a lot of money in holdings and real estate. He also had accounts in different banks around the world. You might think I'm delirious as you never heard him making references to that money. He wasn't an avaricious man and he knew the consequences that having so much money could bring in the time of his death. Tom helped me race my son Jeff as if he were his own, he never denied him anything. Not until his last days..._

_By now you must know that your father, my son, is a very greedy man. Once Tom passed away, Jeff wanted control of half of everything Tom owned, but I was named sole beneficiary of his estate. That didn't fend well with Jeff, who still wanted me to sign half of everything over to him. My heart was broken at the person my son grew up to be. His greed was so much that he decided to abandon his younger daughter so he could go on to become part of a prestigious league of doctors in Europe._

_I took care of you as if you were mine, becase some how I blamed myself for the fallout between me and my son. But now I know that he was the only one making the decisions, he wanted power and money above all._

_That is why I made the decision of making you the only and sole beneficiary of the Hardy Estate. _

_Elizabeth, I raced you to be a responsible and honest woman and I know you'll do the right thing. Money it's not worth pain and heartache. You my dear will live a long and happy life. But you have to be careful with your family. As much as it pains me to admit it, Jeff is not a good man and I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. _

_I love you and I would've given all of the money away to have been able to see you grow up and become a great famous artist. I would have enjoyed seeing you fall in love and get married. But time is running out and I know that it's not going to be possible. _

_Live your life to the fullest. See the world as we talked so many times. Don't ache because I'm gone anymore than you have to. And don't look down to anyone. You are stronger than you think and I promise I'll be looking out for you from whatever Heaven might be. _

_I love you Elizabeth, and I've always been proud of you. I have faith in you and I know you'll do the right thing when the time comes..._

_Love, _

_Your Grams._

Tears were falling down Elizabeth's cheeks as she finished reading the letter. She folded the letter and placed it inside the envelope. She walked inside the bedroom and looked for her jewelry box. It was an antique wooden box that her grandmother had given her on her tenth birthday. She placed the letter inside and closed the lid.

Still crying she walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. The house seemed quieter than usual, but she didn't really paid attention until a loud scream filled the silence and made her run in the direction of the noise.

Drying her tears Elizabeth made it out back to the pool side. Eva was standing outside and she was screaming her heart out.

"ARRRRRRGH!"

Her arms were clenched at her sides and her face was red. Elizabeth walked closer and cleared her throat.

"Eva."

"ARRRRRRGH!"

"EVA!" Elizabeth shouted.

The older woman still had her eyes closed. "I'm not listening Elizabeth. I just want to scream, scream until I have no voice left."

"What is going on? Did something happen? Where are the guys?"

"Ohhh I don't know. They left, not even bothered to tell me where. But why would they? I'm just the maid after all."

"What? Did Jason say that?" Elizabeth asked not understanding a thing.

"No, but he didn't have to. Maybe Francis will say it again. He said it to me a while back... didn't I tell you? It was one of his shining moments."

Eva was looking at Elizabeth then and her tears where about to fall, but she was still fighting them of.

"Eva, something happened but I can't help you if you don't tell me what it is."

The tear she was desperately holding fell down her cheek and then she lifted her face and meet Elizabeth's worried gaze.

"I feel in love with him."

Elizabeth smiled sweetly at her friend. "Yeah, we kind of figured that already."

"How? Does it show? Am I that transparent? Oh God, do I do stupid things around him? Oh God..."

Eva ran her hands over her face and down her long raven locks. "I didn't plan this you know. I was completely happy been a cold hearted bitch. And then all of you happened and now I'm a merry freaking sunshine all the time. If my grandmother sees me now she would flip." Eva sat down on the floor and crossed her legs indian style. Elizabeth followed suit and sat with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"I came here running away. I wanted to disappear from a life I never really wanted but that was the only one I had. My family was poor, not boarding on homeless, but poor nonetheless. We are five siblings, my grandma took care of all of us because my mother scrammed. She was an addict and never really cared about us. My big brother is a dealer, with his money we managed to help our grandparents and send our younger siblings to school. I'm the oldest of the girls, so I took the role of mother to the three youngest."

"How old are you?"

"I turned twenty-three a couple of months ago. But I feel like I've lived a lot more. I've been working since I was fifteen. I've been a waitress, a bartender, and a maid on a good day... but I've been a lot of other things too."

"I don't understand." Elizabeth said confused.

"Elizabeth, I've done things I'm not proud of. And looking back now, I should have run when I had the time, because now I don't really know how to tell him..."

"I'm sure Francis wouldn't mind about your background. He likes you, I'm pretty sure that your curriculum is the last thing on his mind."

"Well I'm not so sure. I haven't been completely honest. And my life story do matter... Elizabeth, I was an escort."

"A what?" The younger American girl asked shocked.

"An escort, as in a hooker. As in I used to sleep with men for money."

There was a long silence before either one decided to talk. They both sat there over looking the gardens and the poolside.

"Do you want to go to the mall?" Elizabeth asked after a while.

"What?"

"It's been a long day filled with a lot of new information and I'm tired of acting like an adult. I want to be a teenager for a day. Would you like to be one with me?"

Eva laughed out loud. "I'm not a teenager, Elizabeth."

"I know but... come on. Let's do something completely unexpected and free." Elizabeth stood up and pulled Eva with her.

"I'm not sure..."

"It'll be fun, spontaneous and it will take our minds from all of our problems. Let's pretend we are normal for a day."

"Normal would be a stretch." Eva said still not convinced.

"I know, but let's do it anyway."

They spent all day running around the mall. Both, mostly window shopping had a great time together. They caught an early movie, a withy and funny romantic comedy. Elizabeth had convinced Eva to buy a beautiful dress and a pair of shoes too. She had brought a couple of things she needed too. Around five o'clock in the afternoon, after an early dinner they made their way out of the mall. Standing outside the building waiting for their cab, they spotted the Webbers coming towards them.

Caroline, Jeff, Steven and Sarah had spend the afternoon talking and planing their next move against Elizabeth. Shortly after coming out of the restaurant they saw her standing to the side with another woman, so they made their way toward her.

The men sitting inside the black jeep smiled at the scene. It couldn't have been more perfect even if they tried.

Jason and Francis made their way to the entrance of the mall, not realizing the situation they were about to walk in to.

"Good afternoon, honey. How are you?" Jeff said as he walked toward his younger daughter and hugged her.

Elizabeth stood there and let him wrap his arms around her, vile coming up as she remember her Grams words... _Jeff is not a good man and I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants._

"How are you, Liz?" Sarah asked in her bubbly and upbeat voice.

"I was doing fine..."

Steven look at the beautiful young woman standing beside Elizabeth and steped closer.

"Who's your friend?"

"She's a good friend." Elizabeth said not really paying attention.

"It seems like my little sis is not going to introduce us. Hello, my name is Steven Webber." He extended his hand and Eva looked at him as if he had a third eye growing on his forehead.

"Eva Cruz."

"Nice to meet you, Eva."

"Sorry I can't say the same."

"Oh my God, could she be more uncivilized? Where do you find this people? The _barrio_?"

Elizabeth's temper flared at her mother's words. And Eva stood her full lenght also ready to deal with the bitches. She had been wanting to clean the floor with the two harpies standing in front of her and it seemed like the time had finally come.

"Excuse me? Oh sorry, but not everyone falls for your unrehearsed concerned family act. I didn't have to go to _the barrio_ to find 'this people' as you call them. Thank God, they've found me. And I'm glad that they have sticked around even though the twisted family tree."

"Are you implying they are better than us?" Sarah asked stunned.

"I'm not implying, I'm flat out telling you." Elizabeth said.

Before they had the chance to answer, a rain of shots thundered around them.

Jason and Francis accelerated their pace and soon were both running toward the noise.

They couldn't register their voices yelling for them to move. Elizabeth and Eva tried to run, but the shots were coming from all around them, soon Eva threw Elizabeth down on the ground. The red blood started to pull around them as the heat of the wound started to burn her skin. Counter shoots rang too and then silence fell over them.

>>

Night fell and they all waited on the living room for Barbara to come down with news on her. Eva had recieved a wound to her arm as she was crouching down and shielding Elizabeth.

The young woman was biting hard on her bottom lip, waiting for the doctor. She was praying that Eva was okay, because she felt responsible for what happened. If it wasn't for her they wouldn't have been outside that mall. It was all her fault.

She paced the room and twisted her hands. Jason watched her for a long time before he stood next to her and whispered.

"This is not your fault."

She looked up at his concerned face and her bottom lip trembled when she released it from it's hold between her teeth.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes, it is. She didn't want to go, Jason. And I made her."

"Things like this happen... if it's anyones fault it's mine. If it wasn't for me neither one of you would be caught in the cross fire."

"What do you mean?"

"What happen today was because of me."

"How do you know?"

"It's the only reason we could find."

"What if it's about me? What if it was Tony?"

"It would have been my fault too."

"No it wouldn't, it would've been mine. Don't you get it yet, I'm trouble... trouble you don't need." Elizabeth said in a whisper.

"Well, I'm trouble too and ..."

"She's gonna be fine." Their quiet conversation was cut short by Barbara's words.

"How is she?" Francis spoke for the first time since the shooting. He had been sitting on the couch silent for the past couple of hours waiting for news on Eva's health.

"She's gonna be fine. It was just a scratch. The bullet brazed her arm, but it didn't do much damage. I cleaned the wound and bandaged it. She took a couple of painkillers and the antibiotic."

"Can I come see her?" Francis asked the doctor.

"Of course. But she'll be dozing off soon."

"Thank you for everything, Barbara."

"It's my job." She said with a reassuring smile as the bodyguard made his way up the stairs. Taking in Elizabeth's wary state, the older woman walked closer to her. "How are you doing, honey?"

"I'm fine." Elizabeth said trying to cover her nervousness.

"You don't have to pretend you are. I know that going through something like this is not easy at all. If you need to talk..."

"I'm fine, Barbara. Everything is fine. I was just a little shaken up. But now that I know Eva is going to be okay, I'll be too."

"Well if you say so, I believe you. I'm going to head home. It's going to start raining any minute now. Have you guys brought groceries and first aid necessities?"

"Why would we?" Jason spoke from his place a few feet away as he looked out the sliding doors.

"Haven't you watched the news? A tropical storm is coming this way."

"Oh, that. Yeah I knew about it. We are stocked up. There's no problem."

"Okay. We'll if you need anything call me, okay."

"Thank you for everything, Barbara." Elizabeth spoke as she embraced the older woman in tight hug.

>>

He walked inside the room and his eyes wondered to the figure of the woman lying on the bed. Her caramel colored skin was a big contrast against the white sheets surrounding her. She had her eyes closed and her long black hair was fanned across the pillow. She looked so frail he only wanted to hold her close and never let her go.

She felt him come in and stop after closing the door. With her eyes still closed she spoke.

"You can come closer, it's not contagious."

He smiled and walked until he was at the side of the bed. "No it's not contagious, but I'm sure it hurts like hell."

"It's not that bad. I've had worst." She opened her eyes to find his concerned blue orbs trained on her.

"I'm so sorry you got hurt."

"This wasn't your fault."

"It never is. But still innocent people get hurt."

"Francis, I don't think this is the time to start with the 'my life is too dangerous' speech."

He sat on the edge of the mattress and covered her hand with his. "You scared the hell out of me today."

"I'm sorry..."

"This wasn't your fault." He placed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"I meant about last night."

"We don't have to talk about that now."

"Yes we do. I want to explain everything."

"There's nothing to explain."

"Yes there is. I got hurt today. I was lucky the bullet wasn't a couple of inches to the side or I would've..."

"Don't say it." He whispered.

"Well it's the truth. And I've never been more afraid of death than today, because I didn't want to die before I told you the truth."

Francis' eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean? What truth?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Their eyes met and time seemed to stop. He almost forgot to breathe at the sincerity he found in her dark brown eyes.

"I..."

"Wait. Please don't say it yet. There are somethings I need to tell you first, things that might make you change your mind."

"Nothing is going to change my mind about how I feel. I've been fighting it for a long time, but it's been useless."

"What I have to say might. Listen to me first and then we'll figure out what to do about all this."

"Okay, go ahead."

>>

The door opened to reveal the Webbers as they came crusing in. Both Jason and Elizabeth looked at them in utter disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"We came to take you home with us." Jeff said tersely.

"I'm not going back to that house until you leave." Elizabeth countered.

"I didn't mean to the house. I meant to Moscow. We are leaving tonight and you are coming with us."

"What? Are you crazy? I'm not leaving with you to Russia. I don't want to live on a house in the other side of the town with you, what made you think I'll live all the way on the other side of the world with you?"

"Listen kid, I'm not asking for your input here. I said we are leaving." Jeff stepped closer to Elizabeth.

"Hey, you'll listen and listen good. Elizabeth said she's not going." Jason said stopping the olser man before he reached Elizabeth.

"What are you going to do to stop me, ha? Take out your gun and shoot me right here? Wasn't enough the attempted murder in a public place?"

"Jason didn't do anything."

"Yeah well tell that to the police. We already testified. And we weren't the only ones that saw him draw his gun and fire." Caroline pitched in.

"I can't belive you. He only fired to stop the other people. If anything he helped all of you."

"If you believe that, you are crazier than we thought." Sarah added.

"I'm not crazy." Elizabeth said getting angry.

"Yeah, well the doctors will think differently." Caroline spoke again without an once of concern.

"The only ones crazy here are all of you and if you don't leave my house at your own accord, I'll make you leave." Jason was losing his temper rather quickly.

"This doesn't concern you Morgan." Jeff spoke again.

"If it concerns Elizabeth it concerns me." Jason said standing besides Elizabeth protectively.

"Your token knight in shining armor are you? Changed the white horse for a Harley and the sword for a magnum?" Jeff added mockingly.

"I know what you are trying to do and it won't work." Elizabeth said holding back her tears. "I know everything."

The three of them looked at the petite brunette and then back at each other.

"We don't know what you are talking about. You are even more sick than we thought." Jeff tried to cover for his initial surprise. _It most be a bluff_, he thought.

"I'm not sick. You are, if you think that you can pull this off. I got Grams' letter yesterday. I know everything. I'm the sole beneficiary of the Hardy Estate. All you wanted was to come here and play nice so I would sign it away to you. Now that that didn't work, your plan changed. You want to make people believe I'm crazy so you can be my legal guardian." Seeing her father's face turn pale she went on. "That's it isn't it? Well you all can go back to whatever hell hole you came from because your plan is not going to work. I'm staying right here and you won't see a penny of that money."

Jason stood quietly listening to Elizabeth's words. Everyone of them was cold and heartless, but he knew she was dying inside. This people were her family after all.

"You don't know what you are talking about. Whatever this man is telling you is not the truth." Sarah did her best to cover her fury, there plan had been exposed. Little Lizzie wasn't as stupid as she thought.

"Stop bringing Jason into this. This has nothing to do about him, this is between me and you. Let's cut the crap already. I know you hate me and it's no secret I hardly care. You heard me. I'm not giving you Grandmother's money, so get over it. Leave me alone or I'll swear you'll see a whole different side of Lizzie Webber, a less pleasant one."

"There's one more unpleasant?" Caroline asked to no one in particular.

"Oh yeah. There is and you don't want to meet her, Mother. Now you came to say good bye, something about going back to Russia? Well... arrivederci, bon voyage, hasta luego and see hope I don't see you ever again." Elizabeth walked to the door and opened it. "Get out."

"You've not heard the last of us, you little bitch." Jeff said unable to hold his anger any longer.

"Bring it on, Jeff. Whenever you want." Elizabeth stood with her hands at her hips as her family walked out the door. Once they were out of sight, Jason closed the door and stood in front of Elizabeth. She had been glued to the spot for a couple of minutes a blank expression on her face, until the first tear fell down her cheeks.

"Elizabeth..."

She said nothing. But when she felt his arms around her, she broke down. Jason caught her as they both fell to the ground and her whole body started to shake uncontrollably with sobs as she cried in his arms.


	19. Forces of Nature

**Chapter 19: Forces of Nature**

The sound of rain drops crashing on the glass window made her open her eyes. She had been sleeping for hours and still she felt tired. She'd never wanted more than to lay in that bed and not have to worry about anything else. But the truth was that she had to leave.

With some trouble because of her injured arm, she managed to sit upright on the bed. His bed. It smelled like him too. This was definitely going to make it harder. Allowing herself to close her eyes for a minute and resting her head on the headboard of the bed, she sighed.

The door opened slowly and he made his way inside the room. His breath was caught in his throat at the sight in front of him. The Puerto Rican beauty was lying on his bed, her raven black hair cascading down her shoulders in complete contrast with the white linen covers. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The most annoying too, but he still couldn't stop the yearning he felt when they weren't together nor the electric shots that cursed through him when they were. He was standing there inside his room, rain falling outside and suddenly it hit him, he didn't want her anywhere else.

She sensed his presence there, didn't have to open her eyes to see him staring at her with those beautiful blue eyes of his.

"What?"

Her lips parted to speak the single word and all he wanted was for those luscious lips to press against his in a kiss. He walked closer and sat at her side on the bed. Her eyes opened to show uncertainty.

"I was just about to leave. I..."

"I don't want you to leave." He said truthfully.

"Riiight... still haven't said everything. You left in a hurry last night. Go ahead..."

"You are right I haven't said everything."

Eva's eyes filled with unshed tears and her bottom lip trembled though she tried to hide it. She berated herself for been so fragile around him. The truth was that Francis Caruso was the only man that had the power to make her feel so helpless.

His heart broke at the sight in front of him. The woman he loved was lying on that bed because of his line of work and she had been through so much... It didn't mattered to him, he knew her heart and what ever she did before was done and buried.

"I'm sorry I walked out on you last night."

"People have done worst."

"I'm not one of those people."

"No you are not. You are the one person that matters the most, but I can't ask you to turn your head and make as if nothing happened. I am what I am and I understand if you..."

He interrupted her then. "Hey, you had your turn last night. Let me say what I need to say please."

"I changed my mind. I don't want to hear it. Not from you. I couldn't bare it. I..." All the while she was struggling to stand up, but between her injured arm and the strong man sitting in front of her the task proved to be impossible.

She pushed at him to move but he didn't. Instead he grabbed her, careful not to hurt her and sat her on his lap.

"Hey, stop that. I won't let you run away. Not now, not ever. Do you hear me?"

She looked up at him, their faces were inches apart and she looked into his eyes. He was beign honest.

"I don't care what you did before that night we met. All I know is that you barged into my life and settled in my heart. You are there to stay Eva, and I won't let you run. I love you, all of you. Your past is done and your future is staring at you right now."

"W-what do you mean?"

"You are the most infuriating woman I know, stubborn and smart-mouth...but god I love you. I love you and I want to be with you always."

"I love you too, Francis. I love you so much..." All of the sudden she could breathe easy again.

Their foreheads touched and soon his mouth found hers. Soft and testing, as sweet as the first time they kissed. Her tears were of relief now and not fear.

Her hands cupped his face as they broke the kiss, still sitting on his lap she pressed closer as she kissed his nose, his eyes and his temple.

"Thank you, Francis. Thank you so much..."

"For what?"

"For accepting me and loving me as I am."

>>>

The door of the kitchen opened to reveal a soaking wet Jason. Elizabeth ran toward him to help him with the many bags he was trying to move inside while holding the door open and his keys in his mouth.

"Herfulwiththatmighthere."

"What?" She said as she placed the bag on the counter and reached to his mouth to take the keys.

"Okay, that's better what was that?" She asked again as she moved around the counter still barefoot and clad in her pajamas.

"Careful with that right there." He said turning just in time to see her slip on the water he'd dripped on the ceramic floor. He acted fast and grabbed her by the waist. Her back collided with his chest and she laughed.

"Right, got it." She said in between laughs, even though her heart was jumping from her chest at the feel of his arms around her.

His strong arms were tight on her midriff. Her black tank had ridden up, so his hands were flat against her stomach. Her head moved back and settled on his shoulder as she laughed. But he wasn't laughing. The heat that was rising withing him and the faint smell of watermelon that emanated from her hair was driving him dizzy. He realized that she fit perfectly in his arms. Lightning crashed somewhere outside and it brought him back to reality. They were friends and she was just a kid.

She had stopped laughing the minute his strong hands found their way to her belly. Her back was pressed against him and her head was resting on his shoulder, they were standing in the middle of the kitchen in a very personal embrace and it made her tingle with exitement. She didn't want to let go, but all of the sudden he stepped back and the warm of his arms left her body. Before she even had time to turn around, he was standing far away from her, the counter top posing as barrier between them.

"I didn't see the water there."

"I'll look for a mop." She noticed how he avoided looking at her and somehow she thought that he'd felt exactly the same surge of electricity she had.

"It's okay, I got it."

He didn't answer, just kept unpacking the groceries. Elizabeth walked to the small supply closet and took the mop out. She ran it by the water that he'd splashed over the floor and then placed it back on it's place.

Rain was still coming down hard. And the storm was not schedule to show up until later that night.

"How are things out there?" She asked casually, finding the silence uncomfortable.

"Crazy. There's no other way actually. People are attacking the markets as if it's the end of the world. Cars are lining up on two hour lines to get some gas and everybody is panicking."

"But not Jason Morgan." She said smiling not noticing the look he was giving her. She was rummaging the cabinets for the box of cereal. Her back was to him and as she raised on her tip toes the black tank rose again giving him an uncensored glance at her lower back. Shaking his head he forgot about the tantalizing view and looked away.

"Are you always this calm and collected before a natural disaster hits?" She said looking at him as she opened the box of cereal and began eating it straight from it. "I mean come on, it's not everyday a storm hits. It's a threat to both material possessions and life."

"Yeah, but you are forgetting this is a tropical island and they do have a hurricane season. They should be better prepared."

"Good point." She said in between bites. "Is that why you rushed in the early hours of the morning to get caned food, bottled water, electric batteries and... what else did you buy?"

"We were already out I just..."

She interrupted him, raising her finger and pointing it at him in disapproval. "Shame on you. Living in a tropical island and not being prepared for a storm's arrival."

"Okay, okay I get your point... it's just that people get hysterical. Is a whole project getting from the market to the gas station, to the Casino and then back home."

"Is everything alright there?"

"Yes, all of the employees have their orders and the guests of the hotel are all informed and warned not to leave their rooms during the storm. They are all stocked too."

"Good. That means you don't have to go out again. It's dangerous to be driving in this weather."

The tension in the room had vanished and they were again talking in their usual friendly way.

"Have you seen Eva?"

"Nope. I didn't want to bother her. But I did see Francis go into her room earlier."

"I'm going to go and talk to him. We need to..." Jason was walking out of the kitchen, but before he reached the door Elizabeth stepped in his way.

Almost running into her, he stopped looking at her questioningly. "You can't go there Jason."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

"Because... what?"

"They have a lot of things to deal with."

"Are they fighting or something?"

"Haven't heard screams yet, which might mean they are making up. In which case I still haven't heard screams yet so maybe they are still talking."

Jason looked at her confused. "Why would there be screams if they are making up?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow smiling at his ingenuity. Jason thought better and then his face wrinkled in dislike. He couldn't believe this was the same sweet innocent girl he met so many months ago. She had definitely spent too much time with Eva.

"Elizabeth! Ewww! Thank God I'm not good with mental images. Excuse me."

"No. I told you not to interrupt them."

"I'm not going anywhere near that room."

"Then where are you going?"

"I'm going to turn on the CD player and turn the volume all the way up."

>>>

"Let me be the first to show you the difference between having sex and making love. Let me show you what love is..."

Francis was looking at her, love shining on his blue orbs. Soon clothes had been shed and they both lay naked over the white linen covers. Skin over skin, kissing and caressing each other showing their love in the most special way.

His lips traveled down her long and smooth neck placing butterfly kisses everywhere. Her mocha brown skin under his stark white made the contrast even more beautiful. His hands traveled up from her waist and rested just under her breasts. The tingling sensation made her run her hands over his shoulders and down his back.

His mouth traveled to the valley in between her breast as his hand came higher to cup both of them. He kissed, licked and slowly bit his way toward the first mound. Teasingly he circled her aching nipple with his tongue making her breathing hitch until he took it in his wet mouth. She was sure she wouldn't be able to take much longer, her coil tightening at the sensation of his mouth on her. His name came out of her mouth on a plea, which he ignored completely as he lavished her other breast giving it the exact same treatment and leaving her nipple as hard as it's twin.

Eva ran her hands over his blond hair as he made his way south, kissing her ribcage and down to her navel. There he plunged his tongue inside as he kissed down. She was flying up with the clouds, not even hearing the drops of rain loudly crashing on the windows. She was in heaven.

She felt him kiss his way down her long legs and back up stopping close to her feminine center. Though he was lying half on top of her, she managed to open her legs a bit, the pulsating need leading her instincts. His hot breath made her buck up a bit. She was so lost in him, in her love for him, in her want for him that it made her feel complete.

"Francis..." What was she going to say? Did she wanted him to stop or go faster?

He flicked his tounge exploring her womanhood for the first time. She was already wet for him, and so sweet... He kissed her there and then flicked his tongue over her aching bud. Slowly he began to play with her, placing a kiss in her center and then runing his tongue over her slit. The coil withing her was tightening, her heart was pounding in her chest and her blood was rushing in her ears. Soon her orgasm took her higher than she ever thought she could go.

Francis ran kisses up her torso again after finishing her glorious nectar. Their mouths found each other and they sealed in a passionate kiss. He kissed her temple and said softly in her ear that he loved her. Opening her legs wider and placing himself over her he entered her slowly.

In and out, slowly at first wanting her to feel loved and completely pleasured, he took his time. When it was clear that neither could take it any longer they found their pace and quicken their strokes.

Their climax came at the same time. Both looking at each other and whispering loving words.

Minutes later, Francis lay beside her. Her head was lying on his shoulder and her breathing was calmed.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay."

"Did I hurt your arm?"

"No."

"Are you sure your alright? You are unusually quiet."

"I'm trying to find the words."

"For what?"

"To thank you for showing me what it feels to be in heaven. I love you."

"I love you too."

>>>

It was late at night and the storm was brewing outside. The ocean seamed to come to life as great waves crashed on the shore. The intensity of the wind made the palm trees bend almost completely.

The stereo system was blaring and Elizabeth was dancing. Jason was standing in front of her as she stood on the couch and twisted along with the music.

"Come on Jason! Dance a little... Live a little!"

He had to bit the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen. She was wearing a pink top with big blue letter's that proclaimed her an 'Angel' while her shorts proclaimed her a 'Devil' with big red letters plastered on her bottom. The very nice bottom she was now shaking in a very appealing way.

"Do you love me?" Her voice took his mind from the gutter for a second as he heard her ask in a loud cry. Why was she asking him that? Did he love her?

"Do you love me?" She said again and then he heard backup singers asking the same thing.

"Do you love me? Now that I can daaaance!" Elizabeth jumped off the couch and danced her way toward Jason. "Come on I'll show you how to mash potatoes."

"What? I don't want mashed potates we already ate." He said seriously.

"That's the name of a dance step. Here, you follow me. Do it like this." She proceeded to do the dance step, but Jason just stood there. "How about the twist?" She changed dance steps but he still didn't follow her. "Oh come on! I'm running out of dances here. What can you do?" She stopped dancing and placed her hands on her waist.

She looked cute with her hair all tussled and her lips in a slight pout. All he wanted at that moment was to kiss her...

Outside thunder hit hard and the loud sound made them both jump. Elizabeth yelled and moved closer to Jason. He placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from running. The power went out and they stood in the middle of the dark and all of the sudden silent room.

"Jason?"

"It's okay the power generator will start automatically in a couple of minutes."

Time ticked by and nothing.

"Jason?"

"Any minute now."

Still nothing.

"Jason?"

"Something went wrong."

"Yah, I kinda figured that."

"Stay here. I'll go out and see what's wrong." He let her go and stepped back but Elizabeth moved too.

"Oh, no you don't." She grabbed him by his shirt. "Are you nuts? It's pouring outside... it's dangerous to work with that thing right now."

"But..."

"Nothing. We'll use candles tonight."

"Okay."

They stood there for a minute neither wanting to let go, but soon he stood back and went to work on finding the candles and candle holders.

A few minutes later they were sitting on the floor over two sleeping bags, talking and listening to the music that was coming out of a small radio, powered by batteries.

"I love the rain, but I hate thunders. Lightning is not that bad, but still."

"You don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid. I'm never afraid when I'm with you."

She looked up to find him staring at her. They were sitting side by side and all she wanted was for him to lean in and kiss her. His gaze was intense over her and she bit her lip in wonder.

Damn that lip! He wanted to taste it and bite it and then salvage the wound with his tounge as he pressed for entrance and ...

Involuntarily he moved closer to her. Under the candle light her eyes seemed more shiny and her skin irradiated innocence.

The devil made him do it. That was the only explanation. Suddenly lighting lit the room and he looked down on her. His hand moved up and played with a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. Slowly he placed it behind her ear. His fingertips lingered there giving her chills of excitement. Her breath was caught in the back of her throat and her heart rate quickened even more.

A mere centimeter separated them, his nose played with hers and she felt like she was falling. He was about to kiss her. She closed her eyes as he made his way closer to her lips. His hand pulled on her chin making her released the tortured lip. His fingers caressed her cheeks and...

"Jason?"

"Elizabeth?"

"Guys where are you? Are you alright?"

Francis voice traveled toward them from the stairs making them step away from each other. Jason stood up and walked over to the stair case leaving Elizabeth sitting on the floor. She placed her trembling fingers over her lips and tried to calm her heartbeats.

"Jason is that you?" Francis moved his flashlight over the livingroom.

Jason cleared his throat. "Yeah it's me."

"What happened? We fell asleep and when I woke up everything was in the dark." Francis walked down and came to a stop in front of Jason.

"The generator didn't kick in. It was raining pretty hard and I couldn't go out there. The other guards are staying in the hotel."

"Where's Elizabeth?" Francis said.

"R-right here." Her legs still felt like jell-O, so she decided to stay sitting for a few more minutes. She lifted her arm so Francis could see her.

"Rain seemed to have stopped. So if everything's alright down here I'll go back to Eva's?"

"Congratulations, Francis." Elizabeth said smiling.

Elizabeth smiled mischievously at the mention of the older girl. Jason noticed for the first time that Francis was shirtless and wearing his bermuda shorts from earlier.

"How are things between you two?"

The older man's face turned pink and he nodded. "Everything's great."

"Good for you man." Jason knew that Francis was happy and that was all that mattered.

"Thanks. Okay, I'll go up now. Be careful down here you two."

The older man walked up the stairs leaving them alone again. Jason kept looking away, mustering the courage to turn around and face the very beautiful girl sitting on the floor... the very beautiful and young girl he almost harassed a few minutes ago.

He ran his hands over his face, breathed in and out and turned around. When he walked closer he saw her lying down inside her sleeping bag. She had her eyes closed, but he knew she wasn't asleep. Still he didn't say a word. Things were just too complicated to deal with right now.

"_The eye of the storm has left Puerto Rico and is now making it's way out into the open water. So it's just a couple more hours until things go back to normal. Stay put and try to relax for the rest of the night, because tomorrow the sun will come out again..."_

Jason blew out the candles and walked over to the couch. He sat down and watched her fall asleep.The announcement of the dj did nothing to calm Jason down. How was he supposed to relax when he was feeling a storm brewing up in his chest. No, that guy on the radio was wrong. The storm wasn't over. It had just begun.


	20. Secrets Revealed

**_Hey girls! I just wanted to warn all of you that this story it's nearing it's end, so buckle up because this is going to be a bumpy ride!_****

* * *

****Chapter 20: Secrets Revealed**

As promised by the Weather Bureau the storm was over in less than 24 hours. Elizabeth woke up to find the sun shining and the rest of the world completely head over heels. Plam trees were lying over the shore, boats were turned over in the sand and a lot of debris was scattered around the back yard and the streets.

After a quick shower Elizabeth went back down stairs and into the kitchen for something to eat. Jason wasn't anywhere to be found and she was glad. She still wasn't sure how she was going face him after what almost happened between them.

Later that day a few of the guards came back and started to clean the area. When Francis finally came down from Eva's room he was wearing a huge smile on his face and it made Elizabeth feel better.

He made breakfast and announced that he and Eva were going away for a few days until she got better. Elizabeth felt a bit dissipointed, but she knew they both needed the time to be alone together.

Jason needed to keep busy so he went back to the Casino and send the guards to the house to take care of the mess there. Leaving Elizabeth asleep, he had gone upstairs to take a shower and change but by the time he came back, she was gone. He figured she had woken up and gone up and his suspicion was confirmed by the noise of the shower being turned on.

He couldn't stay around to see her. He wasn't even sure how he was going to be able to face her after what he did to her. She was so young and was going through so much with her family that the last thing she needed was to be mauled by him with a storm raging outside. What was he thinking?

He knew exactly what he was thinking. That she was the most beautiful, strong and accepting woman he had ever known. She had showed him more friendship and respect than anyone else had in such a short time. She cared with everything within her and she gave without intention of receiving anything in return. She was so innocent and pure, and yet so much stronger and mature than any other woman her age.

She had impressed him and slowly made her way inside his heart. There was no use in denying it, he was feeling things for her he thought he was't going to feel for anyone after Robin and yet things were so different with Elizabeth. He had admitted he had feelings for the fiery young woman. So now he had to do something about it.

>>

Once Francis managed to detached himself from Eva's side Elizabeth found a minute to be alone with her friend. There was a lot to talk about.

Eva was sitting by the window, watching the mess and thinking about everything that happened in the last 30 hours. There was only one way to describe it, her life had been changed forever. And for the first time in her life she knew what happiness truly was. A soft knock came and soon the door opened to reveal her friend.

"Hey, I come with treats!" Elizabeth entered the room with a tray carrying two cups of hot chocolate and cookies.

"Elizabeth! How are you? Was everything alright last night?"

Elizabeth smiled in mischief. "Not as great as it was for you."

Eva's face colored pink and she covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Oh God how did you... Oh my did you hear... Que verguenza! (I'm so embarrassed)"

Elizabeth laid the tray in the night table and walked closer to the older woman. She took Eva's hands away from her face. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. You and Francis love each other and that's what people in love do. They make love. Don't worry we didn't hear anything, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what happened. Look at you, you look beautiful and radiant. And Francis is glowing and his smile is huge. I'm happy that you guys worked things out. You deserve to be happy."

Elizabeth took a sit in the windowsill, besides Eva. "I am happy. I never thought love could be like this, you know. It's like a dream. Everything is better. The sun it's brighter, the flowers smell better, the air is fresher and raindrops clearer..."

A loud giggle escaped Elizabeth's lips. "You are so full of it! The sun hasn't come out since the storm and there are no fresh flowers a mile round."

"Don't laugh! You'll see... when you fall in love you'll see how wonderful it is."

The young girl's smile faltered and it was her turn to turn pink. She started to bite her bottom lip a sure sign of her nervousness.

"Elizabeth?"

"W-what?"

"Why are you turning red like a tomato all of the sudden? Is there something I should know?"

"No! Everything it's okay. Your imagining things. So, how about your arm. How is it? Because Barbara told you to get some rest and you sure did a hell of a workout last night. Do you want me to check your bandage?"

Elizabeth stood up and walked over to the table and took a cookie in her hand but before she could bite into it she placed it back onto the tray.

"Hum, my arm is okay. Francis replaced the bandage before leaving this morning." She grabbed Elizabeth's hand and turned her so the girl could face her. "Elizabeth, you've been staying in this house for a few months now. And I know that you ramble when you are nervous, so will you stop and come back here. What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on. I'm fine." She tried to smile, but it faltered.

"Is it your family? Or have the scumbag contacted you again? Elizabeth if that pig has come anywhere near you..."

"Eva! It's not him. If that son of a... I'll kill him. If he dares to come near me again I'll kill him."

"Whoa, wait a minute there Liz. Don't say that. You can't stain your hands with the blood of a lowlife like him. Besides Jason will never let him come withing ten feet from you again."

"I know, Jason is great like that." Her eyes traveled to the window and she stared down at the pool side garden.

"It's him isn't it? It's Jason."

A silent tear ran down her cheeks and she dried it fast.

"What has you so sad, honey? What did he do now?"

"He hasn't done anything. Jason's been the best... the best friend anyone could ask for."

"But you don't want to be his friend, do you?"

"He's been sweet and kind, understanding and selfless."

"But that's not what you want, do you?"

Elizabeth's tear filled gaze turned to Eva then and her answer come out in a sob. "N-no."

"Oh honey." Eva moved forward to run her fingers trough Elizabeth's curls.

"I'm in love with him."

"Ay Dios, I knew it! It's okay, babe. Don't cry."

"I know he doesn't fill the same way. And I'll be stupid to think he ever will. He sees me as a kid, a friend, a delicate porcelain doll that has to be protected from the bad and ugly monster."

"I don't think that's true at all."

"Well it is. I just needed to get it out and now I did." She cleaned her tears away and stood up. "Francis will be here any minute now. I'll help you get ready."

"Elizabeth..."

"Eva, don't. I can't keep feeding my feelings for him with false hope. So let's just end this conversation here, please."

"Okay, if that's what you want."

Elizabeth agreed with her head and helped Eva to stand up. They walked to the bathroom in silence and Elizabeth helped Eva to get ready for her trip.

Later that evening, Eva and Francis packed up the car and left for their romantic weekend getaway. Elizabeth was happy for them, but she was also nervous. She was going to be alone with Jason for three days. How the hell was she going to get through the next few days?

Gratefully she didn't have to find out. She went to bed early that day and by the time she woke up the next day he was gone. After showering and eating breakfast she decided to take a walk along the shore with her sketch pad and pencil. She spend most of the day drawing the mess left behind by the storm.

By the time she came back, it was early afternoon. She fix herself a sandwich and sat on the livingroom to watch her favorite _telenovela _(soap opera). Just when she was about to fall asleep the phone ring woke her up.

"Hello."

"_Hello my angel. How are you?" _The sweet voice of Grace brought instant comfort to Elizabeth.

"Grace! I'm so glad you called. I'm fine. And you folks? Are you okay? I totally forgot to call you guys before the storm. I'm so sorry."

"_It's okay, you don't have to apologize. We know you've been busy and the last thing on your mind should be a couple of old..."_

"Don't even start with me. You know I love you guys, you are my only family."

_Grace tried to hold on to her tears. "We love you too, even though your still a brat. We miss you a lot. As a matter of fact that's why I'm calling."_

"What's up?"

"_Well, as you know the Webber herd left for Moscow and the only one left is Steven. Well he left early this morning with a blond bimbo for a long weekend and we were thinking that maybe you could come by." _

"I don't know, Grace. What if Steven comes home early? I don't want to see him. What they did was awful. I don't think I could stand seeing him face to face."

"_Honey, he's not coming home until Sunday night. He was pretty adamant about us not disturbing him. He even left his cell phone."_

"I don't know. Why don't you come to see me here?"

"_Manuel doesn't feel comfortable in Jason's house." _

"What? Why?"

"_I don't know. He's getting old and most of the time feels like he's intruding."_

"Oh please..."

"_Don't worry honey. You don't have to come if you..."_

"Okay, okay. Tell you what. I'll go up to the house and I'll even stay until Sunday morning."

"_Really?" _

"Yes, really."

"_Oh I'm going to make your favorite, rice with pigeon peas and BBQ chicken." _

"Yum! You don't know how much I've missed your cooking. I'll go pack a few things and be there in an hour. See you then."

"_We'll be waiting, honey." _

Elizabeth packed an over night bag, because she figured she was going to what used to be her home and she still had some things there.

Once she was ready she walked down the stairs and up to the door. She announced to Felix, the guard at the door, that she was going out. She went back to her bedroom for her toothbrush, which she had forgotten and when she came down she came face to face with Jason.

"Felix told me you were going back home. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go back?" He walked toward the living room and arranged a cushion, trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably.

Elizabeth frowned at his back. Did he sound disappointed? "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you are not a hostage in this house, Elizabeth. I asked you to stay as long as you liked. If you felt uncomfortable or out of place you should've told me."

Elizabeth's mouth hung open in disbelieve. "What are you talking about? I'm going back to the house, to stay for the weekend because Grace called and asked me to."

Jason turned to look at her and he looked cool and collected his job as an enforcer making it easy to control his emotions.

"I just thought..."

"Well you thought wrong. Besides, what is the big deal? I'm just a guest here. This arrangement is not a permanent thing, right?"

He had forgotten that their 'arrangement' as she called it wasn't a permanent thing. Sooner or later she'll had to go on and live her life on her own and he'll had to go on and live his life without her. The extent of that realization still not striking him as real.

"Right. I was just worried about you. I mean your brother being around and all. I'm sorry it was presumptuous of me to jump in and try to protect you. Sometimes I forget your not a kid."

"You are right I'm not a kid anymore. But I don't mind that you worry about me, what I do mind is when people tell me what to do or judge my decisions."

"I've never done that to you."

"No you haven't. That's one of the things I like about our friendship."

They stood there looking at each other, not saying a word but wondering about the hundred unanswered questions that where up in the air. Felix chose that moment to walk in.

"SeZorita Webber, the car is ready."

Elizabeth blinked and turned to the older guard. "Thanks, Felix. I'll be right out." She turned back to Jason who had walked farther away from her and was standing at the other side of the room. "It'll be alright. Steven won't be around and I'll come back early Sunday morning." She turned and walked to the door. When she was almost out of the door she faced him again. "And for the record you don't have to worry about me, you know."

"Yes I do."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy yourself."

"I will. See you later."

"See ya' later."

>>

The roads where still kind of dirty, but the crews were taking care of most of the debris. Soon as they drove out of the city and into the mountains, the sky started to get clearer and when they hit the the highway on the south of the Island, all of the traces of the storm where gone. Eva explained to Francis how sometimes the storms hit just part of the Island and leave the rest untouched, even when the Island was so small.

They were listening to music, talking and sharing the nice scenery. Everything was perfect. Francis made reservations in a hotel in the city of Rincon, a small city in the west better known for it's beautiful beaches and surfing spots. They registered into the honeymoon suite and didn't wait long to consumate their love in the king size bed.

They spent the rest of the day making love and cuddling. Early Saturday morning was spent walking on the beach and site seeing. Late that night they decided to hit one of the famous night clubs of the area.

The place seemed laid back, turist were hanging around sitting intimately sharing a couple of drinks and trying to dance some _salsa _and _merengue_. After dinner they sat out on the balcony of the club and watched the clear night while cuddling a bit more. For them being in love was the only thing that matter. After a while, Eva excused herself to go to the bathroom.

She walked as if surrounded by clouds. A huge smile on her face... a smile that disappeared when she heard the name being called.

"Steven Webber, it was time we saw each other again."

"Morales? What the hell are you doing here?"

Eva moved to the side and stood behind a payphone and watched the exchange. Steven was sitting with a blond woman at a table while a not so tall man stood beside him. Two more men where standing around the table.

"I noticed you didn't want to answer your phone and we still have something to deal with."

"I don't have anything to deal with you."

"Oh yes you do." Tony turned to the other men and without a word the order was made. They took the woman away and left the two men alone. Steven didn't even try to argue. "Elizabeth's still running around hidding behind big bad Morgan and carrying the will with her. Your daddy called me to tell me the plan has changed. We are moving this week and you my friend are not going home until we finish this."

"What do you mean by finish this?"

"I mean that we either get your precious sister to cooperate willingly or we'll have to coax her by whatever means necessary."

The face of the young Puerto Rican was vicious. His intentions clearer than water.

"Don't even think of putting your filthy hands on my sister."

A loud not so friendly laughed erupted from the man sitting in front of Steven. "Come on Webber Jr. she'd not around so the good brother routine is over. We all know you don't care shit about her. None of you do. She's just an inconvenience... an obstacle between your family and their money. An obstacle that needs to be taken care of. And your dad is paying me good money to get rid of it."

"But he said not to touch her. All we need is to make her believe she's crazy..."

"As I already told you. The plan has changed and now I'm in charge. You just do as I tell you and don't get in our way."

Eva was choking on the vile that was coming up her throat. She couldn't believe a word been said between these two monsters. She had to find Francis and they had to go back home and warn Elizabeth and Jason.

>>

Jason went out on his bike all night, his cell phone turned off. He needed to think and to clear his head and riding was the only way he knew how. But even that was a torture in itself, because all he thought was about how empty it felt on the bike without her laughing and hanging on to him while he drove fast on the curves and the cliff roads.

He came home early Sunday morning and went directly to his shower. After a half an hour he came out and changed. He decided to get caught up on some work, his boss Sonny Corinthos had sent over. He made a note that he hadn't even called Sonny to let him know he was alright. The very few times they've talked it had been strictly business for the organization. Not even the casino or the coffee had been discussed.

He decided to spare a minute and call to say hi. Coming to a stop in front of the phone he noticed he the machine had a few messages un read. He rewinded the tape and pushed play, a nagging feeling getting hold of him all of the sudden.

"_Jason, it's Francis. Call me as soon as you get this message. It's important." _

What the hell could be so important for him to call in the middle of his trip? A frown started to form in Jason's face.

"_Why aren't you answering your phone, man? I need to talk to you it's very important. Call me as soon as you get this message." _

Okay, something was definitely wrong. He was moving to pick up the phone and dial Francis number when the next message started.

"_Jason it's me, why the hell don't you answer the phone? And where the hell is your cell phone. Someting happened and we are coming home early. We need to talk. Don't panic, but just don't get Elizabeth out of your side, until we get there."_

Elizabeth? It had to do with Elizabeth. What the hell was going on? If this was a joke Francis was a dead man. Before Jason could reach the phone, another message started.

"_Hey Jason this is Elizabeth I was just calling to tell you I'm going to church with Grace this morning and then they'll take me home later this morning. I just called to let you know and so you don't worry. Okay, so I'll see you later. Bye." _

The moment her voice filled the house he stopped breathing. She was okay. And she called him. What was wrong with him? He was acting like a teenager over her and he needed to stop. Something was obviously aboutto happen so he needed to keep his mind cool.

He picked up phone and started to dial Francis number when the door to the house opened. Eva and Francis walked inside frantic, leaving the door wide opened.

"Thank God you are here!" Francis said in a shaky breath.

"Where the hell where you? Didn't you get the messages?" Eva was frantic.

"Hello to both of you. I just heard them I was about to call you." Jason said his voice calmed. He still held the phone in his hand so he dropped it. He took a astep closer to them. "Now will you tell me what it's going on?"

"We were in Rincon. Last night we decided to go out to dinner, you know a little seafood and a little dancing... we found this little club. Really nice, great lobster."

"Francis get to the point! God! I over heard a conversation between Steven Webber and Tony Morales. They've been working together all the time. Jeff Webber got Tony Morales to do his dirty work." Jason's eyes became cold and distant. "Nothing between Elizabeth and that guy has been coincidence, it was all part of a plan to make a Elizabeth crazy and put her in clinic so they could get the inheritance."

"What?"

"It was them Jason. I was coming home earlier, but we stayed to be sure what their next move was going to be. It seems like they are staying in Rincon until Wednesday and then they'll come for her. They have people watching you guys."

"Like hell they'll come for her. Over their dead bodies. What is it? They either have a dead wish are just plain stupid. Who do they think they are dealing with?"

"Where is Elizabeth?" Eva asked worriedly. "We have to tell her. She's going to be devastated."

"Elizabeth's right here. And still standing." The three of them turned around to find Elizabeth standing inside the threshold. Her voice was even, her face was pale as a ghost and her eyes blank.

"Elizabeth." Eva took a step closer to her but Elizabeth just walked around her not wanting to be touched.

"Honey, how much did you hear?" Francis asked.

"Everything. I heard everything." Her hands were clenching and unclenching at her sides. She wore a yellow dress that came to her knees and her hair pulled from her face by two berets, the rest cascaded down her back in soft curls.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this..." Eva said genuinely sorry for the young girl.

"I'm not. I had to find out sooner or later."

"It's better that she knows. That way she can look out for herself. I'm not waiting until Wednesday. Francis we are leaving for Rincon right now. I'm going to double up security here. Elizabeth, you and Eva stay put until we deal with this. That son of a bitch is going to pay once and for all."

Jason started to move but Elizabeth stepped in front of him. "I'm going with you."

"What? Absolutely not. It's too ..."

"Dangerous? This is about me, Jason. I'm going and that's my final decision."


	21. Take Action

_Yes, it's me. I'm alive contrary to popular belief. I haven't forgotten about this story.As I already told you it's nearing it's end and it's becomingharder than I thought it would be. But here's another chapter as a present to all ofyou who enjoy this story and have supportedme through it all. I love you guys and it means a lot to me that you like my work. Happy Holidays to all and enjoythe Holidays!_

* * *

**Chapter 21: Take Action**

"_I'm going with you."_

That was how he got himself into this mess. It should have been a simple plan of action. Hell, he had been planing it for months... Get into the hotel room and kidnap the little fuck, take him to the abandoned house up the mountains and blow his brains out, finally taking what was left of him and feeding the sharks. Easy four step plan, he thought. But he was wrong.

"_This is about me, Jason. I'm going and that's my final decision."_

That was how she got herself into this mess. But maybe she was wrong, maybe it hadn't been her fault at all. She had been put in to this mess by a group of people that dared to call themselves her family. What had she done to deserve all of the things that happened to her in her short lifetime, she didn't know. But she was on her way towards redemption...

Not a tear was shed, not a shaky hand was raced or a but ushered. She had accepted the conditions and the new plan. And now they were almost there. Soon Tony Morales and Steven Webber were going to pay their debt. Jason Morgan was going to make sure of that.

>>

It was a quiet night, unusual this time of year. It was summer. Very nice weather had been announced for the week. Half of the Parador's guests were sleeping and the other half were enjoying a night out in the town. A girl was standing over the counter reading the new edition of _Vanidades_. Ana was a little over weight, medium height and her dark hair had blond highlights. At the sound of footsteps, she turned her head toward the doors and found the new arrivals.

A tall mocha skined woman and a _gringo _were looking down at her. Ana stood nervously and ran her hands over her hair trying to comb it down. The woman smiled at her reassuringly.

"Buenas Noches." (Good evening.) Ana looked at the woman again. The woman was beautiful, the girl thought, also had a body to die for just like the models in the magazine she had been reading.

Ana looked at the woman again, too bad she was a prostitute.

"W-we w-would like a-a room." The man said, obviously drunk..

"Sorry, we don't rent rooms for the hour. You'll have to go down town for those kinds of hotels."

"A que te refieres con eso?" (What do you mean by that?) The woman spoke in perfect Spanish.

"I..."

Eva was dressed in leather. Hardly covered by a short halter dress, her hair was down in curls and her mouth was painted bright red. She was wearing thigh high boots in animal print.

"Sorry but it's just that the way you are dressed..." The girl was blushing.

Eva and Francis started to laugh. The girl joined them nervously.

"We were at a costume party, silly." Eva said in between giggles. "We live in San Juan and it's a little late. My husband is a little drunk and is not safe to drive three hours to get home in his condition. Some friends recommended the place and we decided to pull over and stay for a few days. You know enjoy the city, since we are already here."

"I'm so sorry. I... I don't know what to say."

"It's okay. You should have seen a younger couple that was there. Newly weds, dressed like bikers and all over each other."

Ana filled the reservations on her computer and after a few signatures. They were assigned room number 23.

Half an hour later, the heavy footsteps of boots echoed in the reception. Ana looked up from the magazine and found a couple leaning over a column in the middle of the room the man was over the woman, obviously making out.

She couldn't see the woman at all. From the floor five inch catwoman boots came up to the knees were it ended and left naked the rest of the leg up, where currently the man was running his hands smoothly. The man was wearing black pants and a leather jacket.

Ana started to blush, feeling a little hot all of the sudden. Minutes later the couple was still over each other. The girl had to clear her throat a few times.

Elizabeth was holding her breath and biting her bottom lip hard. It was the only thing she could do not to react to what Jason's touch was doing to her. She was pinned against the cold stone of the column in the middle of the Parador. Jason was leaning against her, his leg nestled between hers one of his hands holding her face, the other running up and down her thigh and his breath only inches from her mouth. He was moaning, pretending to kiss her.

She forgot everything. The reason they were there, the pain she felt in her heart, the deception... The only thing she could think about was Jason and how much she wanted him to move just a little closer and finally kiss her.

He was counting sheep, doing an equation, thinking about the time he had to sleep in a dumpster and stunk like onions, fish and baby poop for days and still he could feel his blood rushing south. They had a plan, but he miscalculated the thumb factor and it's consequences. He felt something for Elizabeth and he couldn't deny it anymore than he could hide his growing arousal.

He stepped away fast. Taking a few steps far from her. She looked at him and turned around, her hands on her face. Her short leather hot pants and halter top did nothing to conceal her body to him. Damn it if she was a kid! She was all woman from where he was standing.

She ran her hand over her face and down her neck, her hands came to rest on her chest over her heart. God... she wanted him. She was feeling things she couldn't describe any other way. She wanted him bad.

"Ex... excuse me." Ana asked from behind the counter. Jason turned to find her. She blushed even more. The guy was a heartrob. "How can I help you?"

"We need a room."

"I can see that." She murmured.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Just that... for how long are you staying?" She looked at the woman still giving her her back. She was wearing a short red wig and a very tight, very small leather set.

"_You should have seen a younger couple that was there. Newly weds, dressed like bikers and all over each other."_

"Forgive us, about earlier. We are newly weds..."

Ana filled the reservation again and gave them the key to room 10. Jason frowned.

"Would you mind giving us room 24 if is not currently occupied? It's our lucky number. We are 24 years old and married the 24th and ... you catch my drift..."

"I... let me see if it's available. You are lucky. It is. Here you go."

"Thank you very much."

"Enjoy your stay."

"Oh we will. You have no idea how much."

Ana blushed just imagining it.

>>

Room 24 felt the heat race to a 100 degrees, the minute Jason and Elizabeth stepped in.

The room was small and cozy it had a small balcony that overlooked the bay. There was a mini fridge, a couple of end tables and a tv set, but Elizabeth only saw the bed. The very visible, single bed. Her face turned even more red if possible. The bellboy left their duffle bags inside and explained the facilities, but she didn't hear a thing. Jason payed the boy his tip and rushed him out. Soon they were left alone.

Opening the small bag, he began to prepare his arms. He took a out his Glock, the 9mm and his ammunition. Elizabeth looked at him, barely blinking. The heat had evaporated from her body and the stone cold reality of the situation took her crashing down to Earth. Silently she took her wig from her head and stood there frozen, watching Jason's mechanical movements.

After checking twice over the schedule, he glanced at his watch and then to where Elizabeth stood. He didn't really see her, just continued his preparations. He took his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Where is he?" He waited a minute as the person in the other side answered and spoke back. "And you? OK we'll go down and take our positions. Don't take your eyes of him."

He put his cell on his pocket and put his gloves on. Not looking at her he spoke.

"You'll go to the _Negrita_ with Eva. You guys will be covered by Francis and Tito inside. Tito is shadowing Steven and he's there right now. You know what you have to do right?"

Elizabeth was quiet. She couldn't recognize the man that was talking to her and for a minute it scared her. She never thought that Jason would ever give her chills of fright, instead of excitement. The minute they were left alone inside that room he became a robot. Cold and distant.

Jason waited for her to answer and when she didn't he turned around to face her. She had her red wig clutched to her chest. Her eyes staring at him and her face was pale. She wasn't crying yet. But almost... she was good at hiding her feelings, but he could see through her. She was scared.

"Elizabeth are you alright?"

She moved her head yes.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Again she answered yes without speaking.

"You know I don't believe you, don't you?"

The transformation was incredible. In a matter of seconds he went from being an unfeeling block of concrete to the Jason she loved, caring and honest. She swallowed hard and fixed her eyes at a point over his shoulder.

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to be here. Actually I would preferred if you weren't. But this was your decision."

The sincerity of his words somehow reassured her and she brought her gaze to his.

"It's still my decision. I'm here and I'm in this don't matter what happens."

He took a few steps closer to her. Not sure why he did it. There was always this invisible pull that made him gravitate toward her and he didn't seem to have a say. His right gloved hand came up to her cheek. She felt her stomach do a somersault in her middle as she felt the cold leather touch her skin. Involuntarily she closed her eyes. Jason felt his mouth go dry as he closed the distance and lingered close to her. His voice was soft when he spoke next.

"I won't let anything happend to you. I promise."

Her eyes opened revealing her azure orbs to him. "You never promise things you can't keep..."

"I do when it matters. And you matter too much to jeopardize your safety."

His head was bent close to hers, they were inches apart. She wanted him to kiss her. But when he didn't get closer, she made the decision to go for what she wanted. Inching her head up closer to him she stepped closer until their bodies touched from knees to chest.

"_E..."_ A murmur came from the balcony of the room.

They didn't move.

"_Paloma..."_

Jason stepped back and turn to look at the shadow in the balcony. Elizabeth felt air instead of lips as she moved to kiss him. Opening her eyes she saw him looking at the balcony.

"Wh..."

"_Paloma."_ Eva's soft call reached her ears.

"It's time." She placed her wig back on and took in a deep breath. "Go over the balcony. Eva it's going to take you to the _Negrita. _And from there you know the plan."

"Okay." She moved to the door of the balcony, but before she could reach it, Jason grabbed her arm. "What?"

"If you see anything suspicious you get out of there. Do you have the spray and the switchblade?"

She touched her boot. "Everything in place."

"Okay." They stood facing each other quietly.

"_Paloma." _Eva called Elizabeth's nickname again.

"I have to go."

"Be careful." Jason spoke softly.

"You too."

Jason stepped closer and kissed her forehead.

_>>_

_Negrita_ was a brothel located in the middle of nowhere. Off the main road an into the woods, the people that drove down that road where either going there or were lost.

Eva drove the old jeep down the dirt road for more than a thirty minutes before the place came into view. Elizabeth had been quiet all the way there. Her face filled with uncertainty. But as soon as they pulled up into the improvised parking area she became cold an distant her role of Paloma firmly in place.

Both girls stepped down and were greeted by two men. They were notably older and visibly interested in the new arrivals.

"De dónde salieron estos dos angeles? Están perdidas?" (Where did this two angels came from? Are you lost?)

"Nosotras vinimos buscando trabajo." Eva spoke. Her face a mask hiding her disgust at the man in front of her.

"We need to make some money, honey." Elizabeth said in a sweet voice.

"Una gringa. What can you do with that pretty mouth of yours?" The man closest to her asked.

Elizabeth froze at the up-front question. Eva stepped closer letting her know she wasn't alone. Reassured for the time been Elizabeth smiled saucily. "Everything."

"Vamos adentro." (Let's go inside.)

Both men led the way and soon the all disappeared inside.

>>

Only two hours had passed and Jason was already getting anxious. Never in his years as enforcer and part of the organization had he been anxious before. But then again never had he let a woman in on his stakeouts. And besides it wasn't any woman either, it was Elizabeth. A woman he had fallen in love with.

"There he is." Will, the gaurd, said as he looked at Jason and then at the binoculars again.

Jason straighten in his seat and looked out the window. Tony Morales was getting in his car flanked by his two guards. "Tail him. Keep fairly away, but don't loose him."

>>

Elizabeth had managed to keep away fron Steven all night. But even if she pranced around in front of him, she was sure he wouldn't recognize her because he was completely wasted by the time they walked inside. She was sitting at the bar with her first John. She looked around and saw Eva sitting with Steven, they were still talking.

After their arrival, the two men took them to the back were a small office was located. The manager a man named Elias interviewed them. He agreed to let them work freelance for the night if they payed the quote of 40 of their profits. They agreed and went into the main room. Soon Eva started her part of the plan and sought out Steven. Meanwhile Elizabeth went straight to the bar and sat down drinking a virgin Piña Colada.

A few men approached her, but she only spoke in English and scared them off easily. Until her current companion sat beside her and offered to buy her another Piña Colada in a thick southern accent.

When she looked up she found familiar clear blue eyes looking at her. Francis took a seat in the stool beside her and Elizabeth let out a relieved sight. They had been playing their roles for almost an hour when Elizabeth saw Steven standing up and offering Eva his hand. Soon they disappeared up the stairs. Ten minutes later, Elizabeth and Francis started their way up. No one downstairs noticed.

Eva smiled softly as Steven looked at her, desire burning in his green orbs. She had to grip the sheets to keep from jumping on him and breaking his nose.

She was sitting back on the bed her hair falling to one side, her legs crossed seductively.

"So mister... what is it you are willing to pay?" She spoke with all her accent and rolling her r's.

"I can pay you anything you ask. I have money. A lot of it. And as soon as I finish with Elizabeth I'll have more."

Eva raced an inquisitive brow. "Elizabeth? Who is that?"

"A brat. A mishap that never should have been born. A thorn in my side."

Eva ran a finger up her boot sliding up her thigh. "A thorn? What's a thorn?"

"Something very unpleasant."

"Oh poor baby. Want to come here and talk about it?"

"No I want to take you and... stop talking." He walked toward her and pushed her down on the bed. He dropped himself over her and kissed her hard on the mouth.

Eva held her tongue back as he pushed his inside roughly. She tried to maneuver him off her and she pushed him back.

"Hum... you are so manly."

"Shut up and come here." He said reaching for her.

"Is that Elizabeth your wife?"

"God no. She's my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Yeah."

Eva walked back and did a little twirl. She bent down and unzipped one boot slowly, seductively.

"What could a sister do to a brother to make you so mad?" She pulled a chair from a corner and raced her other leg and did the same with her other boot this time running her hand up.

Steven sat on the bed. And enjoyed the show. He kept talking.

"She stole something from me."

Eva took off one boot. "What?"

"My family's money."

"How?" She took off the other.

"My grandmother made her the sole beneficiary of her will."

Eva frowned. "So you don't have money?"

"Oh baby I do have money. And I'll have even more. See, my family has a plan. We contacted this local thug that assured us he was going to take care of her. But the little bitch is one tough cookie."

Eva smiled again and began playing with the zipper of her leather dress. "How is he going to take care of her?"

>>

Elizabeth stood in the middle of the room listening to every word Steven was speaking. She was disgusted at his dismissal of her. As if she were nothing, a replaceable object. A broken porcelain doll... worthless... unworthy... unloved... unwanted...

Her eyes filled with tears and this time she let them fall as the words kept tumbling over the man she used to call brother.

"_He tried to raped her once, we wanted to make her crazy so she couldn't take possession of the estate. But it didn't work. So we tried to play nice for a while but she was more intelligent than what we imagined. So now we are forced to take a more direct approach." _

"_What do you mean direct?" Eva asked._

"_Tony Morales is a man that takes what he wants and for some unknown reason he seem fixated on little Lizzie. If he takes what he wants and dispose of what we don't. Everyone will be happy." _

Francis turned off the audio and stood close to Elizabeth. Her small body was shaking with sobs. His heart constricted at the sight. In the months he had spend in Puerto Rico, Elizabeth Webber had become more of a sister than his own. He'd learn to care and respect her. What was not to like? She was enthusiastic, friendly and kind. Thoughtful and truthful. The girl was loyal to a fault and repectful. She had class, and that was more he could say about the Webbers.

The guard took a step closer to her but before he could hug her she stepped back. She cleaned the tears away and breathed deep. Then she moved. Everything happened so fast that Francis barely had time to catch a glimpse of her walking out of the room.

>>

The grey rundown car stopped in the middle of the woods. Jason looked up with the binoculars and had to control his breathing so he didn't show the panic that ran down his spine at the moment. They were barely half a mile away from the _Negrita, _and so was Tony Morales.

"Elizabeth?" Eva said as she stood in the middle of the room without her boots and the zipper of her dress half down.

"What?" Steven spoke standing up from the bed. "What the hell..?"

He didn't have time to finish because Elizabeth was jumping over him. She hit him so hard she broke his nose. But before she could really have her way with him. Francis took her from her place and held her back.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO FRANCIS!"

"Shh! Elizabeth, honey you have to keep it down."

"NO!"

"Girl remember the plan." Eva was already completely dressed and was trying to calm Elizabeth down.

Steven was bleeding and still a little desoriented, but managed to stand up. Before he could get away, Eva stopped him.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"I don't know who you are but move out of my way or..."

Eva took out a small pistol from under her skirt and pointed it at him. "Or what?"

Francis let go of Elizabeth and moved behind Steven.

"You are not going anywhere until we deal with you."

"What do you want from me?" He stepped back looking at both of them, his hands up defensively.

"There's a debt you have to settle with my boss."

"And who is your boss?"

"Jason Morgan."

Those were the last words Steven Webber heard before everything went black. Francis hit Steven's head and took him out. He took his cell phone and dialed the number, while Eva tied Steven with the rope they had prepared in the room.

"Hey... yeah we had to speed up the plan. What?... No... yes she's right here. Okay."

He closed his cell and knelt down to help Eva.

"Elizabeth, we have to remove you from the premises. Tito will be here in two and he's going to take you to a safe palce okay."

Francis finished tying up Steven and turned around. "Elizabeth, honey did you... Elizabeth?"


	22. Redemption

_Yes, really it's an update. I've been working on this chapter for a while and I'm still not sure about it. This is the chapter that (I don't know if all of you, but I )have been waiting for. So there's only three more chapters to go after this one... Hope you guys enjoy this. Please leave some feedback! Love you guys... oh and I almost forgot to wish you all a Happy New Years!_**

* * *

****Chapter 22: Redemption**

_**2:03 am**_

Tony Morales stepped out of the car, his two guards following his every move. He had owned the _Negrita_ for over two years, but he hardly came to the place. Only big business dealings would bring him to the middle of nowhere at 2 in the morning. He smirked as he walked inside. But the minute that Elias, the manager of the brothel, had called to inform him of Steven Webber's presence he couldn't stay away. He loved to antagonize the poor white man, the face of disgust and hate was just too funny.

The minute he walked inside, everything stopped. The music still played, but the patrons and ladies all became quiet. He tilted his head as a signal for all of them to continue with their usual behavior. He made his way toward the back of the place where the office was located and asked his guards to stay at the door.

Elias was sitting behind the desk when his boss came in, swiftly he stood up and held his hand out.

"Buenas Noches." (Good Evening.)

"Where is the gringo?" Asked Tony ignoring the hand held out to him.

"Mr. Webber is upstairs."

"Who's with him?"

"A new one."

Tony's face became inquisitive. "A new one? Who hired a new girl without my permission?"

"I- I- I didn't hire them."

"Them. So there's more than one?"

"Two. They came in earlier. A Puerto Rican and a gringa. The wanted to work freelance for the night... I - I - "

"Shut up. You know how I operate and you know you did wrong. Don't ever disobey my rules. We'll have a little talk later, so you don't forget again. Which room?"

"Number three."

Without a second glance, he walked out of the room.

_**2:04 am**_

"He's inside." Will said putting aside the binoculars.

Jason turned off his phone and started preparations. "I have to move fast. Tito will bring Elizabeth out through the side door. You will take her to the nearest safe house. I think the one in the town of Cabo Rojo is operable. Tito will stay as backup and you'll guard Elizabeth until is safe to go back to San Juan."

"Consider it done."

"Turn around over there. I'm going in."

Jason checked his ammo and as soon as the car was in position he got out. He made his way closer to the bar moving with skill through the shadows.

Francis closed his cell and knelt down to help Eva.

"Elizabeth, we have to remove you from the premises. Tito will be here in two and he's going to take you to a safe place okay."

Francis finished tying up Steven and turned around. "Elizabeth, honey did you... Elizabeth?"

She wasn't in the room. Francis swore out laud. Elizabeth's agility to disappear out of sight without him noticing was a bad thing and it was starting to annoy him.

"Where is she?" Eva said looking around.

"I don't have a freaking idea. This is bad, Eva. Very bad."

"What's wrong?"

"Jason is about to break in. Tony Morales is on the premises."

"Elizabeth, por el amor de Dios." (For the love of God.) Eva's voice came out as a plea.

"Wait for Tito, he'll help you move..."

"I'm here. Where's Elizabeth? Will is waiting to take her." Tito barged in the room.

"Stay with Eva. And go straight to part two of the plan." Francis walked around Steven's body who was still down and took his Colt. "Be very careful and take care of her." He turned to Eva and sighed.

"Take care. And please find Elizabeth."

"I have no other choice. That girl means a lot to all of us. Follow Tito's orders and everything will be fine."

"I sure hope so." Eva took a step closer to Francis and kissed him on the lips. It was short but passion filled. "I love you."

"I love you too." Without glancing back Francis was out of the room.

_**2:10 am**_

Jason was inside and about to go up the stairs, when he heard Tony Morales speak. He was telling his men to watch out for anything suspicious. They were walking up the wooden stairs slowly. Jason kept hidden under them. The little shit was surely looking for Steven Webber. Jason felt a little less tense now that he knew his men had taken Elizabeth out of the way. With her safe, things were much easy.

The three men were in the upper level of the structure now, so Jason stepped out and decided to take the back stairs instead. After rounding the kitchen he found the stairs and studied the exists. A few steps up, he heard the stairs creak under a heavy foot. Someone was coming down and was trying to keep quiet. Jason stepped out of the way and pressed his back to the wall. His was gun up and his brow was starting to furrow at the recognition. Something had gone wrong with the plan.

Elizabeth walked slowly. She didn't know where she was going or even where she was. But she just wanted to disappear out of the face of the Earth. What more could happen to her? She had lived a thousand years in only eighteen.

She considered herself a good person. She had done a couple of questionable things, but teenagers did that. They wanted to be rebels. That was no reason for such a cruel punishment. She was crying, her eyes swollen and her body still trembling.

She ran her hands over her face and turned her head to look around. She saw the faint outline of the house as she walked away from it and in front of her trees. She needed to get as far away as possible. She couldn't take being near Steven one more second. She needed to disappear.

The thick vegetation started to make her movements slower. It came to her knees and between her boots and the dry land, she was getting tired. Elizabeth stood a second to gather up her bearings and breath deeply. She tried to calm her nerves and get clean air inside her lungs. She closed her eyes and it was then when she heard the footsteps. Her skin prickled and she opened her eyes with a start.

Her blue eyes searched around but it found nothing. Blue-black sky and a quarter moon illuminating part of the way. She rubbed her eyes and kept walking.

_**2:11 am**_

"There's no one here." The guard checked around.

"I can see that. Let's go downstairs. Maybe he finished already."

"Take your post. And keep your eyes open for anything unusual."

The gun was pointed directly at his head. The barrel right between his eyes. And he swore under his breath.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" His voice was down, but still forceful.

"I... I..."

"Talk." The simple word was a command.

"Put the gun down man."

"Francis..." The voice came out as a warning now.

"Things went wrong up there."

"Where is Elizabeth?"

Francis didn't answer.

"Caruso... where the fuck is she?"

"I don't know where she is."

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?"

"She gone, Jason. Elizabeth disappeared."

_**2:16 am**_

Elizabeth looked around and only saw trees, shadows and... Was that a house? She was biting her bottom lip in worry. But at the sight of the house she breathed a bit better. She had been walking for over half an hour. She kept walking toward the house glad she could get some help. Thinking things better she knew she had to contact Jason immediately.

As she got closer she noticed that the house seemed familiar. The faint sound of music started to fill her ears. Stopping in her tracks she realized something... she had been walking in circles around the _Negrita_.

"Oh God... Oh God... I have to get out of here."

Elizabeth started to freak out. The trembling came back and her breathing became erratic. She turned around and started to go the opposite way but before she could continue on, she was face to face with him.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. The boss is going to be so happy when he knows what I found."

"What? Who are you?" Elizabeth stepped back.

The tall dark man stepped closer. "Don't even think so honey."

"I'm not your honey. Don't take a step closer or I'll scream."

"You do that honey. See if someone hears you."

The guard took her and she started to scream and kick, but there was no use. The man took her and placed her inside the car. There was no one around to notice her resistance.

_**2:13 am**_

Jason and Francis walked out of the _Negrita_ without been spotted. They waited inside Francis car to regroup. Elizabeth was nowhere to be found.

"I'm going back in." Jason said desperately.

"We combed the place, twice. She's not inside." Francis said carefully.

"She has to be somewhere. She couldn't have vanish off the face of the Earth. I'm going back inside."

"Morales hasn't come out yet. You are risking it."

"I care shit about Morales. I need to find her." Jason spoke sharply.

He was about to get out of the car, but Francis stopped him. "Wait. I'll go inside. I'll be less obvious, cause I was already there. You wait here. You seem a bit edgy."

Jason didn't answer, he just looked at the older man his eyes cold and distant.

"Yeah... I get it. She matters too much. We'll find her. Stay here."

Francis disappeared inside the brothel and Jason dropped his head in his hands.

"Where are you?"

A couple of minutes later Jason heard a faint scream in the distance and turned around. One of Tony's guards was getting inside a black car. It still wasn't good. If that man found Elizabeth before he did...

The door to the _Negrita_ opened and Tony Morales came out a triumphant and smug smile, he was closely followed by his other guard. Soon all of them were inside the black car and it was driving away.

Jason moved from to the driver's seat and turned the engine on. Something wasn't right. He looked up to the brothel and then back at the retreating form of the car.

He took of in reverse and soon a half turn had him going after Tony Morales.

_**2:22 am**_

Eva and Tito were sitting around the abandoned storage warehouse, waiting for news on the others. Eva sighed and Tito looked up to find her looking down.

"Estás bien?" (Are you okay?)

"No. I'm worried about Elizabeth."

"She should have stick to the plan. I mean what was so difficult about waiting in the next room until you have drugged the guy. We would have beaten him senseless until he agreed to the conditions Jason had drawn in the contract, signed and bye-bye Webbers. She would have been free of them for the rest of her life."

"I wish things were as simple as a three part plan. But this is her life we are talking about. She's just a kid and she had to stand there and listen to her brother say they hired a common thug to rape her and maybe kill her."

"Too bad we didn't do it a year ago." The low hatred filled voice made them both look up to find Steven awake.

"What did you say?" Eva spoke as she stood up.

"I said too bad, Morales didn't kill her a year ago. It had solved all our problems once and for all."

"You bastard. She's your sister for the love of God." She said standing taller.

"That point had me doubting for a while. But if she's vicious enough to send her mobster lover to kill me... life for life mine is first."

Steven was sitting in the middle of the room facing them. He was tied to the chair, unable to move. But completely capable of talking trash. Eva moved her head from side to side and walked closer.

"You are scum and you deserve everything that's going to happen to you."

"And who's going to kill me? A two cent whore?"

Tito was standing back getting really pissed but sure that Eva was more than capable of defending herself.

The Puerto Rican laughed hard, she threw her head back and when she recovered she slapped Steven with the back of her hand. The force of the blow had him turning his head to the side.

She took his chin in moved his head to face her. She was standing closer now. He was bleeding again. "That's just so you learn to talk to women."

He spat to the side the blood that was gushing from his broken lip.

"You better get use to the taste of blood, cause what's coming is nothing compared to that." Tito clarified from his place, his gun shining from his holster.

_**3: 09 am**_

Tony Morales smiled as he moved closer to the chair that harbored a tied up and blindfolded Elizabeth. She was waking up. The barn was abandoned and filthy with rubble. The faint smell of horses still remain. The Puerto Rican man was dressed in a silk dress shirt and slacks, but still wore a baseball cap sideways. He wore thick gold necklaces and diamond studs.

Elizabeth shook her head in hopes of reincorporating herself. It was then when she realized she was tied up. She spoke slowly, still groggy from the drug they had injected her.

"Help. Some... someone please...W-where am I?"

Tony smirked again. "Welcome to your nightmare." Elizabeth reacted at his voice. She sat up straight awareness running through her.

He walked around her and untied her blindfold. She blinked the shadows away and once she opened her eyes she wished she hadn't.

"So, we see each other again."

Elizabeth stared ahead not meeting his gaze. She tried to force her way out of the rope but only managed to splinter her skin.

"You'll only hurt yourself, _Mami_. I've made sure that you can't run away from me this time." He walked closer forcing her to meet his gaze, he grabbed her by her chin. "Today you will know a real man."

"Where is he? Running late and sent you in as an opening act?"

"As smart mouth as ever are we?" He said tightening his grip. "What nothing else to say?"

"Sick bastard. Feeling all tough having a woman defenseless. Let me go and then we'll see."

He dropped her face and walked backwards with a laugh. "I always admired your spirit. It'll be so much fun to crush it."

"What have I done to you?" She was thinking out loud, spoke in a murmur.

"What was that?"

"What have I done to you? Why do you want to hurt me?" She spoke more firmly.

"You want to know what have you done. The answer is simple. Nothing. Don't feel bad this isn't personal. A year ago, your father contacted me and offered me a lot of money to do a job. It was a easy, seduce his young daughter and rape her. I marked the territory, but then I realized how beautiful you were. When I met you it wasn't about the job anymore. You are a beautiful woman, Elizabeth Webber. That first attempt was busted by Morgan. It was such a coincidence... he's one of the enemies of my brother Carlos... But don't worry, _Mami_. No one is going to interrupt us tonight."

_**3:11 am**_

Jason was crouching behind the only standing piece of the fence that surrounded the barn. He had followed the car fairly distant and noticed them pulling up to the abandoned building. He left the car half a mile away and made the rest of the way by foot. Once he got close enough to the place everyone was already out of the car. Something still made him uneasy, but he still didn't know what it was.

He waited for an hour and still nothing. No one had gone in or out of the barn. He shook his head what was he doing here? Elizabeth was missing and all he was doing was wasting time. He grabbed his cell phone and tried with Francis again.

"_Was about to call."_

"Did you find her?"

"_Not yet. But there was a man walking outside of the bar. He had taken a girl from the brothel and went out on a little expedition..."_

"Francis, cut to the chase."

"_So they are out there and he forgets to bring condoms, so he goes back to his car and on his way to the spot he had left his friend... he saw someone walking ahead." _

"Does he has a description?"

"_Short, wearing tight black leather. He thought it was one of the girls he had seeing inside, but it was dark outside and he had been drinking." _

"Where did she go?"

"_He thinks she was going around the bar. Maybe she was lost."_

"What time?"

"_Roughly 2:15 am." _

"Fuck."

"_What?" _

"I heard a scream and then Morales got in his car and they drove away. He has Elizabeth."

"_Where are you?"_ Francis asked Jason.

"Outskirts of town. Route 301. An abandoned barn, a mile in after the last exit."

"_I'll get backup. We'll meet you there."_

_**3:25 am**_

"Things can go two ways you see. The easy way and the hard way. It's up to you to decide." Tony Morales dropped down to his knees in front of Elizabeth and started to caress her cheek.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to squirm away, but she found the resistance of the ties binding her to the chair. Everything about that night came crashing down on her.

_He let out a cold laugh and Elizabeth felt her skin crawl. "Scream all you want little girl. No one is going to hear you. We're going to do this the easy way or the hard way." _

He kept kissing her everywhere. His saliva was smearing her makeup everywhere. Elizabeth started to scream then. "STOP! LET GO OF ME! HELP!"

She was jerking around, but he moved the full weight of his body on top of her. When she tried to scratch his face with her nails, he grabbed both of her hands and put them over her head. Meanwhile his other hand was rummaging all over her body.

In the middle of nowhere, her voice was starting to come out in panic streaks. "NO! PLEASE, HELP!" She kept trying to move and when he kissed her lips again she bite him hard until blood dripped over her own.

"You bitch! I guess we're gonna have to do this my way."

It had to be a nightmare. It couldn't be about to happen again. He was right, this time Jason wasn't going to be able to stop him. A silent tear fell down her face.

He ran his tongue up her cheek and licked it dry. "Don't cry baby. This is going to be really good. You won't even remember Morgan after you had some of this."

"Get away from me."

Tony stood up. "You'll have to control that temper of yours. 'Cause I'm going to start to untie you." He bent and started with the ropes from her torso. "I'm going to do your legs now. But be very careful what you do. I have two guards ready to shoot if you try something funny."

"You won't kill me until you get what you want."

"A little sure of yourself are you?" He stood and gave a signal with his hand. Soon a shoot was fired. Elizabeth flinched. "That was just a little taste of what can happen. And don't be cocky, 'cause I still can get what I want afterwards. It'll be easier, you wouldn't put much resistance."

Elizabeth couldn't help the shiver that ran down her body. That thing standing over her was an animal. She had to think her movements better. She wasn't going to be a victim ever again.

_He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "You are safe now. I won't let him hurt you again. I promise."_

Even though Jason wasn't there. She felt him deep in her heart. He was giving her strength.

"_... I could see you were hurting. I could see it in your eyes. You felt alone and you wanted to fill that void inside of you, that nothingness with something..." _

He had filled the nothingness inside her with love...

_**3:34 am**_

Jason heard the gunshot and his stood up abruptly. His gut clenched ashe moved silently closer to the barn. He saw one of the guards at the north door and the other at the south. The one in the south had been the one that had shoot. He was pointing the gun up. It was a warning shot. He had to move slowly and take their attention. Move them from their post and take them out.

_**3: 39 am**_

Tony had untied her legs and was running his dirty hands up her legs.

"You look hot dressed all in leather. I bet Morgan gets off on seeing you dressed like this. He doesn't have bad taste at all. The mix of a kid dressed as a vixen, those big red lips wrapped around his... does he like that?"

Elizabeth was feeling the vile in her throat. He was touching her and kissing her until he reached her hands. They were tied on the back, so he stood up and moved around her. As he grabbed te rope, he bent his head and was slathering her ears with his saliva.

Soon she was free of his hold. But remain sitting down. Slowly she moved her hands to the front and massaged them. A plan was taking form in her head. Faintly she remembered Eva's voice._ "Girl remember the plan." _And so she did.

Elizabeth dropped her hands to her legs. She felt her knee high boots and tried to even her breathing. She stood up and tried to run but Tony got her before she got to the door. He pressed his chest to her back. His hand on her throat.

"So, think you could out smart me, do you?"

She couldn't speak. Elizabeth started to fidget. Tony bit her ear hard and turned her around.

"Now you'll know what a real man feels like."

"You are a bastard. And you deserve what you get." She spat at him.

He kissed her hard on the mouth and bit hard on her lip making her bleed. Elizabeth fought his hold. But soon she made her resolve. Once she had him close enough she opened the switchblade she had in her hands. The one that Jason had given her and as he moved her closer she pushed it inside him.

"OWW! You bitch! I'm going to kill you." Tony was holding his side, but still pushed Elizabeth to the floor.

"NO!" She pushed him away but failed.

They both fell down. He was bleeding from his side. The blade fell from her hands and she tried to go for it, but he ram his fist in her face. He took her by her throat and placed his body over hers.

"You shouldn't have done it. Now you are going to die."

Elizabeth kicked and got him on his manhood with the stiletto of her boot. She crawled toward the blade and took it. But couldn't put much distance between them. He jumped her again.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

_**3:51 am**_

Jason heard her scream and turned around. He was about to barged inside when one of the guards came after him again. Jason turned around to face him and shot three times. The man dropped like a fly and soon Jason was running inside.

The image took him back to the night he had found her. Elizabeth was lying under Tony, squirming, trying to get away from him.

"AHH!" Tony screamed.

"Step away from her." Jason yelled, but still keeping his feelings under control.

The squirming stopped. Elizabeth stopped moving and so did Tony Morales. Jason moved closer, his gun drawn pointing at the back of the man.

"I said move it!" Jason repeated.

His voice brought her back to reality. She felt the limp body over her, her hand still clutching the blade inside him. Her hands covered in blood. She pushed him away from her. She needed to get away from him.

"Ja...Jason." Her voice was breaking.

He frowned. Tony Morales body rolled away from her and it was then that he saw the blood.


	23. It's Over

_Here's living to my end of the deal. This chapter is dedicated to Amber (thewretchedchild). You delivered an awsome chapter of **In Holy Matrimony** so now it's my turn. I hope it lives to the expectations. To everyone that's still reading and leaving feedback. I'm eternaly greatful. This one isalmost over.Only two more chapters to go.Enjoy!__

* * *

_

**Chapter 23: It's Over**

Francis walked inside the safe house to find Eva standing with her back to him. Tito was cleaning up around and Steven's face was unrecognizable. His eyes were black and blue, his lips and nose were broken. He had bruises all over his face.

He laughed. "What the hell happened here?"

Eva's back straighten in awareness. She didn't turn around. Francis frowned.

"Natbitjitme...liscrazymitch...lunatk." Steven tried to speak but the teeth missing, the blood and hematomas on his jaw made it hard.

Francis had to bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing again. He felt that something wasn't right. He turned to Tito, he looked at his hands. He didn't found any bruises.

"Eva?" She hadn't turned to greet him, until then.

Her face was red and her eyes never met his. He looked her up and down. She seemed okay. Then he saw her hands, bruised and swollen.

"I'm so sorry. I... I... I know I shouldn't have but this son of a bitch had a dirty mouth on him and I couldn't help myself. It was all his fault I told him to shut up and he didn't."

Francis walked up to her and hugged her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..."

"He didn't touch you?"

"I never gave him a chance."

He laughed. "Good girl."

"You are not mad?"

"Mad? Hell no. I'm proud of you. Look at the work you did on him. You should sign it."

"Juplercraz... amonacaldpolz... yulgotojal..."

"See what I tell you, he won't shut up." Eva said in a sigh.

"Oh but he will." Francis walked up to him but stopped. Steven was already flinching away. "But not now, I have to go."

"What happened? Is it Elizabeth?" Eva asked worriedly.

"Jason went after Tony. I don't know much. He didn't say, but my guess is that he has Elizabeth."

"Oh my God..."

"The guys are already on their way. Actually is not far from here. Tito you have to stay alert for anything. I placed Flores outside just in case. Honey, if this dimwit keeps giving you problems, feel free to finish with his last tooth."

>>>>

"Step away from her." Jason yelled, but still keeping his feelings under control.

The squirming stopped. Elizabeth stopped moving and so did Tony Morales. Jason moved closer, his gun drawn pointing at the back of the man.

"I said move it!" Jason repeated.

His voice brought her back to reality. She felt the limp body over her, her hand still clutching the blade inside him. Her hands covered in blood. She pushed him away from her. She needed to get away from him.

"Ja...Jason." Her voice was breaking.

He frowned. Tony Morales body rolled away from her and it was then that he saw the blood.

"Elizabeth?"

Jason's gun was still pointed at the younger man. But his eyes were focus on her. Elizabeth had bruises all over her face, her lips were bleeding and her wrists were carved were the rope had been tied. She was trembling and her eyes were filled with tears, but she wasn't crying. She was still wearing the black set she had earlier, her top half open leaving her black bra exposed and her pale skin stained with blood. Images of the night he found her on the Lighthouse filled his head.

"A- are you alright?"

She tried to speak but her voice didn't find a way out, so she shook her head. She didn't have a knife stuck in her, if that was what he meant by fine.

A small grunt broke the silent exchange, Jason looked at Tony. His eyes were open now and he still had the gut to smile. His hands were clutching the blade that was stuck in his chest. Elizabeth moved away from him and closer to Jason. She was still on the floor. Sitting at Jason's feet. She seemed so small, like a little scared kitten.

Tony gave another grunt and tried to pull the blade from his chest.

"H-how... to-touch-ing..."

"You still dare to speak? If I were you I'd shut my mouth and awaited death silently. Asking forgiveness for your sins."

"Yerba mala nunca muere." (Bad weed is hard to kill.)

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Three gunshots echoed through the barn. Elizabeth turned her head and held tight to Jason's legs. After he was sure that Tony was dead he dropped his gun and fell to the floor. He held Elizabeth tight. It was then that she cried.

>>>>

It was early morning when Francis got back to the safehouse. Both Tito and Flores waited outside when he entered the room were Steven was being held. Eva was sitting on the floor, at the sight of Francis she stood from her place and walked toward him.

"What happened? Where are they?"

Francis face was void of any emotion. He seemed tired. He looked at the figure of Steven, his head tilted to the side while he slept. He looked at Eva again. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and too much worry. He stepped closer and placed one hand on her back and one on her cheek and vowed his head slowly until their lips met. The kiss was sweet and slow. It tasted like desperation and relief. Eva wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him until he stepped back.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a while.

"I'm tired."

"And besides that?" Eva asked carefully.

"Jason found Elizabeth... I can't figure out if it was on time or too late..."

Eva frowned at his words. "Where are they?"

"On their way home. Barbara and Marcos are waiting for them."

"Francis... Is Elizabeth okay?"

"He almost raped her again. But she put up a fight and stabbed him. Her nightmare it's over."

Eva gave a surprised sigh. "Dios mio, she killed him?"

He shook his head. "Jason finished the job. But she is in bad shape. Some kind of shock. Hasn't said a word since then. Jason is... he's..."

"Adamkilrabusivofkidz..."

At the muffled voice, Francis looked up to find Steven looking at them.

"Why the hell are you stinky shit still able to mumble?"

"Because Tito wasn't bribable. And Flores refused to give me his gun." Eva said in a huff.

"I wouldn't doubt a secound in cutting out his tongue. But Jason wants him alive."

Eva looked around and then met Francis eyes. "I want to see Elizabeth."

"I came to take you home. You need to take a hot bath and sleep for a while. Once you are well rested you can see her."

"I'm not tire. I just need to see if she's okay."

>>>>

Jason stood in the hallway, his eyes focused on the door in front of him. It was almost eight in the morning and he still didn't have news on Elizabeth. Barbara had taken her into her room and locked the door. Elizabeth was in some kind of shock and he was dying to see if she was okay. He rubbed his eyes harshly and started to pace. He took a few steps to the right and turned around to find Marcos walking toward him. His face was severe and he had two glasses in his hands.

"Here." The older man gave Jason one of the glasses.

"I'm okay. I don't need..." Jason looked at the golden liquid inside the glass. "What is that?"

A gilty smile appeared on Marcos' face, but it vanished quickly. "Don Q... it's Puerto Rican Rum. Golden. Straight. Strong. I thought you needed something to calm you down."

Jason shook his head, took the glass and downed it in one gulp. He gave the glass to the older man and looked back at the door. He rested his back on the wall and began to wait again.

"Feel better?"

Jason didn't answer his question. Didn't even looked at him. Marcos took a sip of his glass and stood mirroring Jason's stance.

"Maybe you should go take a shower. Maybe sleep a little. I don't think they will come out soon."

"I'm okay."

Marcos looked up at the younger man and studied him. His signature black shirt and jeans were covered in dirt and dried blood. His mud covered boots had left smudges on the hardwoodfloors. His face was covered in a two days old beard and his hair was tusseled. His eyes were still trained on the door that was yet to be opened.

"Jason, you've done your part. You found her and took her home safe. Let Barbara do her job. When they're done, I'm sure you are the first person Elizabeth is going to want to see."

"You are wrong I didn't do my job at all. I never should've taken her there. None of this would have happened if I'd said no. No, she couldn't come with us. No, it was too dangerous." His eyes wondered to the closed door again. "No, you are too important in my life to risk your safety."

Marcos looked at Jason's profile again and finished his drink. Silence over took them for a while. Both men thinking about the young girl that had grown up too fast. How much more could she take before she broke? Had this been the final blow?

Their thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps and murmurs of Francis and Eva as they made their way upstairs. Eva was barefoot, still wearing her thight dress. Her hai rwas now picked up in a tail, her makeup was gone and so was her spunk. Francis seemed equally tired.

"Where is she? I want to see her." Eva asked as soon as she saw them.

"Barbara is with her." Marcos supply when Jason didn't look up to the new arrivals.

"How is she?"

"We don't really know. But I guess she's okay or Barbara would've come out and said something already."

"No news is good news." Francis supplied wistful.

They all stood there for a while, not reall knowing what to say or do. Until the door of Elizabeth's room opened and Barbara came out. Her eyes were red and puffy. Jason was the first one to stand tall, but didn't speak a word. The older woman stood at the sight of the new arrivals and then started to walk toward the stairs. The four of them stared down at her in question. Jason took a step closer to the door. Without looking back, Barbara spoke.

"Don't you dare go inside that room, Morgan. She's asleep. And if you wake her up I'm going to kick your ass all the way to Timbuktu."

He stopped in his tracks, not for fear of the threat, but because deep down he knew that Elizabeth needed the rest.

"How is she?" Eva dared to speak.

"I'm not going to say a word until I have some coffee. Black. No sugar." Barbara said as she disappeared from view.

Marcos, Francis and Eva followed Barbara down the stairs and into the kitchen. Jason stayed behind for a moment. He looked back at the door and sighed. A couple of minutes later he joined the others in the kitchen.

Eva had finished brewing the coffee and was about to joined the others at the table. She stopped at the sight of Jason at the threshold. She pointed to his mug of coffee already served on the counter and sat down next to Francis.

"So... now can you tell us? Is Elizabeth alright?" Eva asked again after taking a few sips of her coffee.

Barbara looked at Jason and noticed his rigid back and shoulders. The tension in his neck and his back. He walked slowly toward the counter top and took his coffee. He stood away form them trying to act nonchalant but completly aware of her. Awaiting for an answer.

"You and Francis have to go get some sleep. You need to regain your bearings and recharge your batteries. I'm pretty sure your night was pretty long and eventful."

"That's not what I asked. Barbara come on... you have to tell us..."

"She's not badly hurt. A couple of bruices, one or two shallow scrapes. Only one cut was mildly deep and I already fixed it. She's going to be as good as new. In a couple of days there will be no visible marks on her skin." cThe older woman talked in one breath.

"Gracias a Dios." Eva said in a sigh. "I was so afraid he might have..." Eva caught Barbara holding Jason's gaze and realized that the information she had recieved wasn't everything there was to be said. "Honey, why don't we go upstairs and get cleaned up." She turned to Francis.

"Yeah, I think we should get some rest." Francis agreed and stood up to leave.

Eva took the empty coffee mugs and put them on the sink and looked back at Barbara. "Thank you for taking care of her. I'll be back in a while and we'll talk some more."

"It was nothing. Catch up on your rest."

Soon they were out of the room and Marcos recieved a kick on his shin under the table prompting him to stand up and excuse himself.

"Well excuse me. It seems that I have to go make some calls to the Casino. I'll be on your office Morgan."

Everything became quiet once everyone left them alone. Jason stood looking out of the kitchen door and Barbara sat drinking the last of her coffee.

"She's going to be alright."

Barbara's voice filled the silence in the kitchen and made Jason flinch, he had forgotten about her presence. He turned around slowly and faced the older woman. "How can you be sure?"

"Because Elizabeth Webber is the strongest woman I know."

"That's the problem. She's not a woman she's just a kid." Jason turned to look to the garden again, his voice barely a murmur. "She shouldn't have gone through what happened last night. I should have protected her better."

"Jason..." She waited until he turned around and faced her. "Come here, sit down."

Jason walked to the table, pulled a chair and sat down across from Barbara.

"I've known you for the better part of your life as Jason Morgan. I've seen you work your way up from valet parking all the way up to second in command. But more than that I've seen you mature into an adult in only six years. And that's something that to the rest of us has taken us all our lives and most of us don't really get there. Take O'Brien for example."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with everything. I'd like to believe I know you a little bit. And I know you'd chop your right arm before anything bad happens to the people you care about. And Elizabeth, for chance or destiny was brought to your life and has become one of those people. What happened last night wasn't your fault. And she knows that."

"I didn't protect her like I had to. She didn't have to be there and I put her in the middle of danger." His eyes were filled with regret.

"She had every reason to be there. Last night wasn't about the organization or your lifestyle. It was about her life and her past. She had to be there and deal with everything herself."

"She didn't have to get hurt again."

"Maybe she did. Maybe it was the only way she could actually be free from the ghosts that had been hunting her."

"She's so young..."

"My grandma would say she's an old soul. It's over Jason. Everything it's over and now she's finally free. She got a few scrapes and bruises. And she got to see the bad side of your job. But what happened last night was closure to a chapter of her life that came too soon and that took her innocence, and made her an adult way too early."

"Is she... you think she's going to be okay?" He asked his feelings swimming inside his blue orbs.

"She's going to be fine. And you? Are you going to be fine?"

Jason shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Elizabeth has to make some choices now. Her family has betrayed her in the most awful way possible. She has her whole life ahead of her and she has to decide what she wants to do with it. Are you going to be fine with whatever she decides?"

"Her decisions doesn't have to affect me."

"But they do, don't they?" Barbara asked him.

Jason looked at her and blinked, not really sure what to say. He was trying to deal with everything that had happened, but he never thought about what would happened once Elizabeth felt better.

>>>>

It was almost noon when he entered the room, but it seemed like midnight once he stepped inside. The curtains were completely closed. He had to blink and adjust himself to the dim light inside the once bright room. Soon he found her figure lying on the bed. She seemed like a mythological being, a goddess floating over a cloud of white. The duvet, sheets and pillows almost swallowing her lithe form. He walked closer to the bed, his eyes never leaving her face. She seemed so peaceful, no innocent...

He pulled the arm chair that was resting by the big glass window. He sat in the edge, quietly looking at her. Jason let out a sigh as he watched her and thanked God that her chest was rising with every breath she took. She was alive and that was what really mattered. His hand lingered over hers. He wanted to touch her, but was afraid to. So he just stared at her while she slept. The same way he had done one year ago when he had found her on the Lighthouse.

A year had gone by so quickly. A year in which the annoying little girl he had met briefly over three years earlier had become a woman... The woman he had fallen in love with. The woman he had to let go once everything got back to normal.

>>>>

Tito Gomez was a fairly patient man, but his patience had a breaking point and he was about to reach it. Junior Flores had stood watch quietly trying to keep his friend under control. But the toothless gringo was making it impossible. Flores was relief to see his boss emerge from the black car early that afternoon. He didn't know if he could control his partner much longer, but he also knew that Jason Morgan had given the orders very clearly, 'Do not kill the shit head, and leave his right hand intact.' It had been hard, but it seems as if the had done their job.

Francis walked over to both guards, he was wearing black jeans and a long sleeve shirt, his hair was licked back and his eyes were cover with his black sunglasses. His hands were covered by black gloves. Jason Morgan walked straight towards them right after Francis. His signature attire in place. All black and leather jacket and gloves. They were ready to finish the job and both Tito and Flores were only glad they had arrived.

"How much more damage did you guys had to do to keep him quiet?" Francis asked.

"Two broken ribs." Flores answered first.

"Finished with his teeth and busted his left kneecap." Tito added.

"Follow the orders?" Francis inquired.

"Didn't touch his right hand..." Flores was interrupted by his partner.

"And I in a very difficult exercise of self restraint... I can say the asshole is still alive." Tito finished.

It was then that Jason spoke. "You did a good job. Fix the last part of the operative, wait for my call. This is almost over."

Jason finished and entered the cabin. Francis followed his lead. A faint whimper was heard as they made their way inside the room. Steven heard the footsteps and tried to pull his head up but couldn't. A sharp pain ran through his neck. He tried to curse, but the lack of teeth, broken jaw and bruised lips made it difficult.

"Fk...mihed...mgondi..."

It was then that Jason saw Steven for the first time. He stood close and Steven saw his black boots. He threw his head back and found Jason staring down at him.

"Camtojilme?"

"I see you've pulled up a fight. Can't keep your mouth shut. But I'm not going to even try to make you shut that hole. I came to tell you how things are going to be done."

"Mnotscrdofyu."

"This guy is either the most stubborn or the most stupid guy on Earth. He has no freaking teeth left and his still trying to make his case." Francis said irritated.

"Don't mind him. He's going to have to listen and he's going to follow my orders."

Jason's voice was calm and deadly. He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. Steven flinched back with every word Jason uttered. Slowly Jason uncrossed his arms and reached for something on the inside of his jacket. Steven closed his eyes and a very distinct smell made Francis smile.

Jason took out a legal contract and showed it to Steven. "This is legal contract. I'm not going to spare you the long and boring task of reading it, you are going to have to take my word for it. This document states that the Webber herd is bound to stay at least a hundred feet away from Elizabeth Webber for the rest of her life. If you fail to do so you'll be charged with RICO violations, manslaughter and few other felonies that will automatically put you all behind bars without a right to bail or even a trail."

"Tatsntgonowok...wejavluyrs..."

Jason glared at Steven, who instantly became quiet. Francis looked at Jason in awe. "Man you definitely have to teach me that look."

Without answering to the older guard, Jason continued. "I'm not finished. You have to put the house in San Juan and the one on Colorado to her name. In addition to that you have to place one million dollars on an account so that she's taken care of for a while."

Jason gave Francis a signal with his hand and Francis moved closer to Steven and started to untie him. "Now you are going to sign this. Don't even think you can outsmart me, Steven. Don't try anything witty. I've took every precaution. This document will be legal an irrevocable."

Francis had to hold Steven up so he wouldn't fall off the chair while Jason gave Steven a black pen and he signed. Once Steven was finished, Jason took the papers and placed them back on the inside pocket of his jacket and Francis let go of Steven. The young doctor fell on his face and started to cry in agony.

Jason bent down and spoke slowly on Steven's ears. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. I know you are going to miss us, but don't worry I'm going to give you something to remember us by. Oh, and if you tell anybody that we even had this conversation tonight you won't live to see another brothel again."

The last thing Steven saw that day was Jason's fist coming straight to his face. He hardly felt the kicks and the blows that made him sleep for four days before he was found by the police.


	24. Making a Decision

**_I know its been a while but writing this last two chapters have proven very difficult. I guess I'm too attached now. I hope you enjoy it._****

* * *

**

**Chapter 24: Making a Decision **

The soft humming crept inside her dreams and made her smile. The soft clouds around her smelled an awful lot like crisp bacon and apple pancakes. Elizabeth smiled at the beauty of being alive. As she walked barefoot down the path, she could see the faint outline of flowers, but as she knelt down to pick them up they became drops of blood in her hands. She frowned. Soon her hands were smeared in thick, red blood. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. She was crying with deep feeling, softly and soon desperate.

"No... no more blood... please."

Jason had doze off for a while, but the soft murmurs woke him up. He didn't realized where he was at first, but the sharp pain in the back of his neck made him remember. He had been sleeping in the arm chair next to Elizabeth's bed for three days. She had been in and out of consciousness. Barbara insisted that it was just a self-defense mechanism she was using to deal with the whole situation she had lived. But he couldn't help but be afraid. It wasn't normal for a person to be asleep for three days. Yeah, she had woken up a few times. Grace had used that time to give her water and some vitamins. She's gone to the bathroom in a daze, but had gone back to sleep without a word. He had been banned from her room, so he had resorted to sneaking in late at night and getting out by dawn. But today, he had fallen asleep.

He ran his hands over his eyes. It was then that he heard the soft pleas again.

"No please, no more blood... Jason... no more blood...please... Jason."

He stood up and looked at the restless figure laying on the bed. Elizabeth was talking in her sleep. Her head was moving from side to side and tears were falling from her eyelashes. She was having a nightmare. He paced closer and extended his hand to touch her, but hesitate a minute. She looked so fragile, so pale and small... he was afraid for her.

"Jason, please..."

His eyes grew wide at the realization that she was calling for him. She seemed hopeless and lonely. He moved closer and took a sit on the edge of the bed. Elizabeth moved her head to face him, her eyes still closed. Jason moved one of his hands over hers, doubting if it was a good idea to touch her.

"Jason..."

The soft call of his name was his undoing. He wasn't going to let her hurt, ever. He'd rather die than see her in pain again. His hand descended over hers and she stopped moving. He clasped her small hand in between both of his larger ones.

"It's okay Elizabeth. I'm here. It's me... it's Jason. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

The soft promise filled her with peace. She was going to be okay, because Jason was finally with her. There was nothing to be afraid of now.

Elizabeth's breathing steadied and soon her eyes opened slowly to find Jason's blue eyes fixated on hers.

Eva finished setting the table and walked inside the kitchen were Grace was finishing with breakfast. Francis was refilling his cup of coffee and lingering over the plate that held the warm bacon. She smiled as the older woman hit playfully the hand of the bodyguard to keep him from eating the slice of crisp bacon.

"Wait until breakfast it's served." Grace told Francis, while making a new batch of pancakes.

"Are we planning to feed an army?" Barbara's voice filled the room as the Doctor made her way inside the kitchen as well.

"Well, it wouldn't be necessary if someone over here wouldn't be eating the food as soon as it's out of the pan." Eva said finishing with the freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Might, mlame the muard." Francis said in between bites of butter toast.

"I rest my case." Eva said as she walked out of the kitchen and into the diningroom. Francis following close behind.

Barbara smiled and walked around the counter island in the middle of the kitchen towards the coffee. She took a cup from the cupboard and filled it to the top.

"How did you sleep, Doctor Diaz?" Grace asked as she finished with the omelette.

"Please call me Barbara, Grace. We've known each other for a couple of years now."

The older woman smiled, so Barbara continued. "I slept okay. I tried to catch up on it as much as I could. But I did checked on Elizabeth twice. Her vitals were normal. I think she's going to be waking up soon."

"I hope so. I'm worried for her. It's been almost sixteen hours since she last woke up and she needs to eat something."

"Last night I gave her another intravenous vitamin. I think that's what's keeping her."

"Is it normal?" Eva asked as she walked from the doorway, where she had stopped to listen at the other two women talk.

"I can't say I've seen anything like this before. But if her vital signs, blood pressure and heart rate were abnormal I would've taken her to the hospital myself. If she doesn't wake up on her own on the next few hours I will wake her and take her to the clinic."

As soon as Elizabeth's eyes flutter open, it was as if a huge weight was lifted from his heart. Jason sighed in relief and tighten his hold on her hand. He then moved one of his hands to trail softly along her brow. Elizabeth blinked back the sleep haze.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Hi." She said in between a yawn.

She moved her eyes around the room. It was still the same, but she felt different somehow.

Jason looked at her quiet perusal of her surroundings. She seemed lost. At least she wasn't shaking anymore. Her eyes wondered back to him. Their eyes met once again.

"H-how did I get back home?" Her voice was slow and weak.

"I brought you back after...After everything ended." Jason didn't want to go into details, not yet.

Elizabeth tried to sit up, but her arms weren't ready for the exercise. Jason moved closer and held her up against his chest as he placed the pillows against the headboard so he was more comfortable.

"I feel like I've been ran down by an eighteen wheeler truck."

Jason half smiled as her mouth twisted in distaste.

"Ugh... and my mouth tastes like cooper." He looked around, not quite sure what she was looking for.

"You want me to get you something?" He asked.

Before she could answer. Her stomach growled. Her face turned pink.

"Some food then?" Jason said holding back his smile, knowing that she was embarrassed.

"I... yeah, I'm pretty famished." Elizabeth said as she ran her hand over her face and hair finding it dirty.

"It's to be expected. You've been sleeping on and off for three days."

Her eyes opened wide. "I- what?"

"Three days and three hours to be more precise."

"No wonder I feel like dog crap under the sun." She said in a murmur.

Jason smiled again. God he was happy that she was okay and back to her old self. "I'll go look for Grace, Barbara and Eva. They'll help you into the bathroom to freshen up and then they'll bring you something to eat."

Jason turned and stood up, but before he could take a step away, she grabbed him by the wrist.

"Jason wait."

He turned back to her and found her azure eyes staring back at him. "I- I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"You stood by me. You rescued me and kept me safe."

He stayed silent for a while, just looking at her and then spoke. "There's a very selfish reason for what I did, Elizabeth."

"And what was that?"

"By keeping you safe, I was keeping my heart safe."

As the words left his mouth, her heart skipped a beat and she dropped her hand from his. He saw the surprise in her expression and turned around before he could bury himself any deeper.

She walked around the table and sat down on the edge of the pool dropping her legs to the water and smiled. The water was warm and the day was beautiful. And finally everything was taken care off. Their lives were on the way of being normal. She giggled at the thought.

"Yeah, right. As if normal was even an option."

Barbara and Elizabeth laughed as they heard Eva start to giggle and murmur something under her breath. They had been lounging around the pool all afternoon. Enjoying the conversation and the nice weather. Elizabeth felt a bit weak, but Barbara said it was to expect after all the time she had been asleep. Thankfully for the past few days everything had been under control.

She took a drink from her glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and smiled. She was alive. That was all that mattered.

"The girl is in love." Barbara said in between bites of pretzels.

"I heard that." Eva said as she slid inside the pool. "But I don't care because it's true." She dove under the water and reemerged at the side nearer to the other two women a huge smile on her face.

"I remember that time. We call it the _'enchule'_. It's the most amazing feeling in the word. You are falling head over heels in love and you are always smiling. The best kisses are shared and the best sex is had..."

"I know. Isn't life great." Eva said still smiling.

"It never lasts." Barbara said regretfully.

Elizabeth watched as Eva frowned and Barbara looked at the horizon. "Why not?" She asked intrigued.

Both Puerto Rican's looked at the young American at the same time. "What?" Elizabeth's face became flustered.

"Nothing." Eva said knowingly.

"Well it never lasts, because a relationship matures. Once the stars start to fade you begin to really see your partner." Barbara explain.

"You start to notice the little quirks and every little irritable habit they posses. Suddenly they are not as perfect as you once made them to be." Eva added.

"Prince Charming becomes a slub that forgets to put down the toilet sit..." The doctor said sitting back on her chair.

"... that drops his socks out of the dirty laundry basket..."

"... and speaks with his mouth full..."

"... and cuts his toenails tossing the clippings in the floor..."

"... and wears the ugliest most dirtiest shirt on sundays..."

"... and forgets to take the trash out..."

Elizabeth's eyes volleyed from one women to the other. Her amused smiled widening a little bit each time. "Okay, okay... I get it."

"Got a little carried away." Barbara said as she took a handful of pretzels and placed them in her mouth.

The younger girls looked at her strange behavior without really understanding. The doctor drank from her water bottle and sighed. "I want a mango."

"Hum, ripe and juicy..." Eva said as she moved towards the stairs of the pool.

"No. I want it green and with a little bit of salt on top."

Eva took the towel from a chair near by and looked at Barbara with a grin on her face. Elizabeth was still irked by the thought of a green mango with salt. The young Puerto Rican walked toward her friends as she wrapped her towel on her waist.

"How far along are you?"

"What?" Both Barbara and Elizabeth asked at the same time.

"You're pregnancy. How far along are you?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not pregnant." Outraged at the thought.

"Well you have to be. I had a neighbor that had cravings for the very same thing, green mangoes with salt."

"I..."

Barbara was shocked at the thought. She couldn't be pregnant at her age. Not that she was old, she was only 38 years old. But still it was a little hard to believe. She had been wanting to get pregnant for years, but she had stopped trying when it seemed impossible. Marcos and her had stopped using all birth control for over eight years. It was impossible that she was...

"_Embarazada_?" (Pregnant!)

Barbara felt sick all of the sudden, her face paled and she stood from her chair and ran inside.

They sat and listened at their boss in silence. Once Tony Morales was dealt with things had changed drastically. Now they had new instructions to follow.

"_Francis, I need you in Miami tomorrow morning. Carlos is planing retaliation and our people down there need to be prepared. Your instructions will be there for you when you arrive." _

Sonny Corinthos was not happy. They had gather that much from his words. Not much for what he said, but for how he said it.

"_Marcos, I'll need the books of the casino along with a full report on the last years movements and investments by Friday." _

The older man nodded. "I'm on it."

"_Jason we need to talk... alone."_

Jason sat back on his chair and sighed. Francis and Marcos looked at the younger man and moved their heads in disapproval.

"Anything you have to say, you can say it in front of Marcos and Francis. You don't have to punish them, they didn't do anything wrong. They were following my orders."

"_Since when do you give orders to my men?" Sonny yelled. He waited a minute and tried to keep his composure. "You moved without thinking about the consequences..." _

Jason interrupted his boss. "I got the job done."

"_You compromised our place in the Island. You used women as part of the hit, you let your feelings guide your actions and that's not acceptable." _

"That's bullshit."

Francis and Marcos jumped at the words. The older man stood from his chair and walked to the window. Jason sat straight and spoke directly to the speaker phone.

"I understand that I let my guard down when it came to Elizabeth's safety. I told you that Tony was as much her problem as he was yours. Her family tried to sell her and..."

"_I know all of this. And that's enough. You almost messed up... Things didn't go as planned, but they went well as far as the outcome. You dismantled the operation in the west of the Island and dealt with the traitors in the inside of our organization. You killed one of the Morales and left the a hole in their Miami base. This could be a good chance for us." Sonny's voice was calmer._

"You want me to get down there with Francis?"

"_No. You are staying out of sight for a couple of months. It's best if you stay low for a few weeks. We can't risk having you hurt. A war is on it's way and I need you relaxed and at the ready. You know how to disappear. Do it. I'll make contact with you when I'll need you." _

"Okay."

"_Take care of yourself in the meantime. Gentleman, I hope this is the last time something like this happens in my business." _

Elizabeth was looking over the balcony, feeling nostalgic, when the phone rang. She was taken by surprise by the voice at the other end.

"Robin. It's been so long. I'm so glad you called. How are you?"

"_I'm fine... actually great. I called you risking the phone been answered by Jason, because I had to tell you great news." _

"Well that would be a nice change." Elizabeth said, her voice taking a somber tone.

"_Hey, what's wrong honey? Is something wrong?"_

Elizabeth tried to sound more cheerful. "No. No, everything is okay. Now don't make me wait for this great news of yours."

"_My thesis project was accepted. They are going to give me full founding for the experiments and they are going to give me a fully equiped lab. Do you know what this means? I'm going to be able to stay in France until I get it done. Here I have all the technology I need, time and most of all peace of mind. I'm going to do this right Elizabeth and soon I'll be a doctor!" _

Robin was very happy. Elizabeth smiled at her excitement. At least one of her friends was going somewhere... Her, she was just stuck in nowhere.

"That's... that's great, amazing." Elizabeth was happy. She really was, but all of the sudden her life began to feel empty. She needed something, what exactly she wasn't sure yet.

"_Elizabeth, are you really okay. I don't really know how to say this so I'm just going to say it. You sound hollow, as if a part of you was no longer there. Has something happend? Is Jason alright?"_

A tear ran down her cheeks even though she didn't really wanted to cry. Why was she feeling so sad all of the sudden? One tear became ten and all of the sudden she was crying with such feeling that she almost wasn't able to speak.

"I-I do- don't know w-what's wrong with me-me."

"_Oh honey, everything is going to be okay. Just talk to me..."_

Two hours later and more calmed, with a lot to think about and a decision to be made, Elizabeth laid quietly on her bed. She heard the heavy steps of Jason's boots on the hardwood floor of the hallway. She thought he was going to go down to his room, until the soft knock on her door made her sit up. She doubted a second, should she answer? Before really thinking it twice, she was telling him the door was open.

"Hi." He said softly.

"Hey." She said back.

Jason took a few steps inside but stayed across the room closer to the door.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. I'm good." Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed and swept her hair behind her ear, in a nervous habit.

"I've been thinking." He trailed off as he tried to find the words.

Elizabeth smiled. He was nervous too. Somehow that made her feel more comfortable. She stood from the bed and walked closer.

"That's a very good thing. Doctors recommend that one should think at least once a day."

Jason had been looking at a very intresting spot on the wall behind her, but as soon as the words left her mouth his eyes found hers. They were twinkling in mischief. He smiled a soft crooked smile.

"Find that amusing?"

"Very." She giggled again.

He was about to reply, but the sight of her smile stoped him. "It's great to hear you laugh."

"It's great to laugh. It still amazes me that you can do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me laugh even though I don't feel like it." Her smile vanished from her lips.

He looked at her and soon the light in her eyes disappeared leaving her eyes void of emotion.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't say nothing. I know you, I know something's wrong."

"I've just been thinking about a lot of things. And it seems as if I have to make some choices..."

Jason frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Elizabeth moved her head as if clearing the shodows. She looked at him again with a soft smile that wasn't as big. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, why?"

She didn't know where she found the courage, but a minute later the words where out of her mouth. "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

He heard the words, but at first didn't quite understand her request. "I..."

Elizabeth saw the flash of doubt in his eyes and stopped him before he said anything. "It's okay if you can't or if you have plans. I-I- I was just wondering if maybe we could... It's been a while since we've had dinner... Together I mean. Because I'm sure you've got dinner or at least I hope you had 'cause I know sometimes you forget to eat and that's not really a good thing. One should at least have three good meals in a day. You know to be healthy and I'm sure in your line of work you have to be healthy if you want to get the bad guys."

Jason looked at her expecting her to fall down from lack of oxygen. She took a long breath and looked at him again. Her face now flushed in embarrassment.

"Can I speak now?" He said walking a few steps closer to her.

"Yes."

"I would be honor to have dinner with you tomorrow night. Only if you go on a bike ride with me afterwards."

Elizabeth smiled. "You have a deal."

They stood there looking at each other. Until Eva knocked on the door.

"Hey, Elizabeth..." She saw Jason inside and bit her lower lip to keep from smiling. "Sorry to interrupt. I just came to tell you that Manuel is downstairs. He came to pick you up."

The door shut behind Eva leaving a very confused Jason behind.

"You are leaving." It was more of a statement than a question. He sounded disappointed.

"I'm staying with Grace tonight. But I'll be back tomorrow."

Elizabeth turned around and picked up her overnight bag. She was about to walk around Jason, but he stopped her.

"Have a good night today."

"I will. I've missed Grace a lot and it's time for me to go home and deal with my demons."

"If you need anything..."

"I won't."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said before walking out of the room.

"See you." He said to the empty room.


	25. I love you Goodbye

**Chapter 25: I Love You… Goodbye.**

The boxes were packed and ready.

She walked out of the room carrying a painting in her arms, but the older man stopped her in the middle of the hallway.

"Let me carry that."

"Thanks Manuel. Where is Grace?" Elizabeth asked while they walked down the stairs.

"She's in the kitchen."

"Okay, so I'll be back in a minute. I'll just go tell her…"

"I'll wait for you in the car."

The older man walked out of the house.

Elizabeth looked around the living room with melancholy. She breathed hard and deep and started her walk up to the kitchen. Once inside she found the old woman cleaning the same spot of the counter top she had been cleaning an hour earlier when she had told her, her final decision.

"It's a miracle there's still a spot there left to clean."

Grace stilled the movement of her hand for a second at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. But soon she began to scrub faster. She was giving her back to the younger woman, but still Elizabeth could see her tears.

Walking closer to Grace, Elizabeth put her hands over hers and stilled her movements. Grace's head fell down lower and her other hand came to cover her face.

"Grace."

Elizabeth helped the older woman turn around and gave her a hug. A second later the older woman stepped back from Elizabeth's arms and dried the tears from her face.

"I'm sorry kid. It's just that I'm going to miss you so much. I never thought that the little brat that showed up here one day was going to become one of the most important people in my life."

"You are very dear to me Grace and I can swear to you that no one is going to make me forget all of the things you did for me. And I'm not talking about food and clean clothes… You gave me more love, understanding and protection than anyone else after my Grams died. You are my family."

Both women hugged each other again, this time with a sad smile through the tears.

--

Francis Caruso didn't know how to say goodbye.

Hell, he didn't want to.

That was why he'd been hiding in his room. His luggage ready for his trip to Miami, but his heart aching from having to say goodbye to the one woman who made him feel things he never thought he was capable of.

With one last look out of the window toward the garden and the pool of the house he couldn't help but remember their first meeting.

_Francis followed him, with his gun drawn too. Jason made sure not to make a sound as he walked outside to the poolside. A light illuminated the back gazebo and they saw the shadow coming out of the pool. They stood on the side of the pool and pointed their guns at the figure that was emerging from the water._

_The woman took a tentative step to the side where the light from the gazebo shone of her skin and put her hands up, slowly turning to face them. Jason and Francis were both shocked when they realized it was a woman, a very naked woman, to be exact. _

Never in a million years did he imagine that Eva Cruz was going to become so important to him. And now he had to leave her behind.

He had to break his promise.

The sound of the door to his bedroom opening made him turn around and come face to face with Eva.

She closed the door and stood there looking at the bags on the bed and then her eyes met his and he knew this was going to be even more difficult than he ever expected.

"You are leaving." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I was assigned a new job."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I…I didn't…" Francis voice trailed off as he saw a single tear fall down Eva's face.

"Okay, I understand." Her eyes shining, holding back her tears as she stood tall.

Her gaze unwavering from his. "Have a nice life, Francis Caruso."

Eva turned around ready to leave.

His eyes traveled from her bare feet up her smooth legs. She was wearing the same flimsy sundress she had on the night they first met and her black hair was cascading down her back. He had to let her walk away.

But Francis wasn't that strong. He knew this was the best thing for everyone involved, but he just couldn't let her walk away.

"Come with me." The words flew out of his mouth before he even had the chance to process them.

She turned around, a frown on her face. "Qué dijiste?" _(What did you say?)_

"I said, come with me. I can't promise you a happily ever after or a nice and quiet life in a beautiful seaside house with a picket fence. But I love you, Eva. I love you and as selfish as it sounds I want you with me."

He waited for her to say something, anything. While she stood there looking at him, her face expressionless.

One minute he was holding his breath, the other his breath was completely knocked out of him as Eva came crashing into him. She jumped into his arms and her legs came to rest around his waist while her arms surrounded his neck.

She kissed him, fervently and passionately, putting every ounce of love into her actions.

Once he was able to breathe, Francis smiled up at her. "Is that a yes?"

Eva smiled down at him. "That's an 'I'll go anywhere with you.' Te amo."

Her lips found his again and this time they kissed leisurely, in perfect synch.

--

Before ever setting foot in Puerto Rico, Jason used to be a very patient man. Most people considered him cold and unfeeling, a killing machine not able to understand feelings much less such a strong emotion as love.

On paper, Jason Morgan was half owner of the emporium Corithos-Morgan Coffee and the S&S Casinos in the Caribbean Islands. But in truth, he killed people for a living. He was an enforcer for the mob.

He was the second in command on Sonny Corinthos' Organization. And that was what made his life dangerous, the part of his life that made it impossible for him to let people in.

Jason tried to be detached and cold, always pushing people away. Because when he let his guard down and started to care for someone, it only made it that much more difficult when they truly saw what he was and decided to leave him.

He'd learned that lesson over and over again.

Robin taught him that he was capable of falling in love as much as any man could. After his accident he started to believe what every doctor had said about his new life, that he would be an unfeeling cold human machine incapable of understanding friendship, kindness and love.

When his relationship with Robin ended, he found himself wishing all of that was true, because if it were, he wouldn't have hurt as badly as he did.

With Michael it was different. He had known that the baby wasn't really his son. But the minute he met Michael and cradled him in his arms a surge of warmth and tenderness had ran through his blood branding him as a father.

Taking care of the baby, getting to know him, giving him everything he had inside that was good… It only served to make him even more broken once they took Michael away from him. The realization that he was never going to be Michael's father was like ripping out a part of his soul.

He was once again left empty. And that was how he needed to be. It was the only way that he knew how to do his job and walk away, unattached, unscathed.

One of the reasons for him taking the job in Puerto Rico was the physical and emotional distance he was putting between himself and the people of Port Charles.

Distance from any and all emotional relationship.

Little did he know that things would turn out the way they did.

Elizabeth Webber came crashing into his life with all of her energy and spunk. And those beautiful blue eyes filled with hope and loneliness… He hadn't expected to feel so much, so fast for the petite brunette. But it was a lose battle before it even started.

She was so young and still so mature for her age. She had brought light to his life and that would be something he would appreciate always. But at 18 years of age, Elizabeth needed to be free. She deserved to be happy and to see the world she so desperately wanted.

He couldn't give her any of the things she needed.

And still he had fallen in love with her.

Jason Morgan had committed many crimes, but he would not be the one to cut Elizabeth's wings… He would not trap her inside his world and kill her spirit.

Moving from his spot looking out the window, Jason swore out loud and walked out of the house. He needed to escape the loud and wild thump of his heart inside his chest.

He needed to go nowhere, he needed to feel nothing.

--

Elizabeth walked into the house and noticed the packed suitcases in front of the stairs. With a frown she walked back out and called to Félix, the guard that was currently bringing her own luggage inside.

"Do you know whose baggage is that?"

"No_ Señorita_. I…" The older man was having a hard time with the luggage he was carrying. "Where do you want me to put this?"

"Take it upstairs to my room, please."

As the guard made his way up the staircase, Elizabeth walked across the living room and into the kitchen.

"Eva?"

When she realized that her friend wasn't in the kitchen she turned around and walked back to the living room.

"Eva?"

Elizabeth stopped at the bottom of the stairs, but there was no answer. "Eva?"

As she walked towards Eva's room. "Eva, are you there?"

Before she had the chance to knock, the door burst open and the tall Puerto Rican grabbed Elizabeth by her hand and pulled her inside and into a tight hug.

"_Gracias a Dios que llegaste!" _The older woman said as she held Elizabeth in her embrace. "I thought I wasn't going to get to say goodbye."

Elizabeth's brow furrow in concern. "How did you…?"

Before Elizabeth could finish, Eva was pushing back to look at the petite brunette with a huge smile on her face.

"Francis said he loved me and that he wanted me to go with him."

Elizabeth was utterly confused. "Go where?"

"To Miami. After what happened with Morales…"

Eva noticed Elizabeth's eyes go cold and empty for a minute at the mention of Tony Morales. So she continued her explanation quickly bringing her attention back to the present and away from the memory.

"His boss told him to go to Miami because there's some sort of mob war or something."

That definitely grabbed Elizabeth's attention.

"A war? You crazy? Is Francis dumb? Why would he ask you to go with him and put you in the middle of a mob war?"

Elizabeth dropped to the edge of the bed unceremoniously. Her face completely dumbfounded.

"He loves me, Elizabeth. And I love him. I'd go anywhere to be with him."

"Eva, this is a mob war we're talking about, not Uzbekistan."

"I don't know where that is, but I would go there for him too. I have complete faith in him. Francis will keep me safe. Besides he said he had a penthouse overlooking the ocean, bullet proof and surveillance 24/7…"

"Is that the kind of life you want to live? Trapped inside a bullet proof penthouse with no friends or family?"

Eva turned around to look out a window and then back at Elizabeth. "It's not much different than the life we've had here."

Elizabeth stood from the bed and looked around too, her face falling in realization. "I guess you're right."

"I'll have Francis, the man I love… And for me that's enough."

"Is it worth it to lose your freedom?"

"I've never felt more complete, more loved and safe in my life."

Elizabeth watched her friend closely. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness, her smile genuine. There wasn't anything she could reply at the blatant display of happiness.

With a smile Elizabeth walked closer to Eva. "If this is what you really want…"

"More than anything."

"I'm happy for you. You deserve this more than anyone I know."

They pulled into a tight hug again, but separated quickly.

"I'm really sad that you're leaving. Besides Robin, you are the only girlfriend I've ever had and now you are leaving me too."

"You are my only friend too. And I'm going to miss you. But this is something I need to do."

Tears were threatening to fall from Elizabeth's blue eyes and they were already flowing down Eva's mocha color skin.

"Promise me you'll call."

"I will."

"And write."

"Of course."

"And e-mail."

"_Te lo prometo."_

Francis turned around at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. The sound of giggling made its way closer to him. He spoke to his phone.

"Look, I have to go. We'll be landing around 5 o'clock. Have the penthouse ready and the car waiting for us. Okay." He hung up and placed the phone back on his pocket.

Elizabeth was helping Eva with the last of her things. They were both smiling, but he could see that they were just trying to play it strong.

"Everything ready?" Francis asked as he approached them.

"Yes, this was everything." Eva said as she checked again at her three suitcases.

"Good, because we should be going right about now. We have to go see your Grandma and still make it to the airport on time."

Francis looked up just in time to see Elizabeth's eyes get misty with unshed tears and he had to muster up all of his courage not to walk to her and hold her tight.

After the year they all had spent living together he had started to see the young woman as a sister. A little sister that needed to be protected from the evil of the world.

He still could remember the first time he saw the small trembling form of the wisp of a girl as Johnny held her three inches from the floor in the middle of Jason's office…

Looking at her now, she was far away from the girl he met that day. Now eighteen but with the experiences of a full grown woman, Elizabeth Webber was no little girl… Not anymore.

And he was sure that his boss Jason Morgan was going to make sure that she was safe.

Elizabeth caught Francis close examination of her and walked towards him. Without a word she extended her arms and gave the older guard a hug. Francis held her for a minute and when they let go, Elizabeth smiled trough her tears.

"Take care of her or you'll have to answer to me."

"I love Eva, and I'll protect her with my life."

"Good. Now go on or I'll become even more a mess." She tried to use her fingers to stop the tears from falling from her eyes, but failed. "You'd think I would've gotten used to saying goodbye by now, wouldn't you?"

Elizabeth looked at her friends as Francis stood at the door waiting for Eva and gave them a sad smile.

"_Ay bandito_, Elizabeth. I'll never say goodbye, honey. We'll always be friends and I'll call you as soon as we land okay?"

Elizabeth nodded unable to speak. Eva gave her one last hug and then walked towards the door taking Francis hand and walked out of the house.

--

Jason entered the living room and the soft twinkle of candle light was coming from the veranda.

He walked out to the courtyard and found the gazebo surrounded by tall gas torches. He noticed a small dining table was set for two.

A beautiful arrangement of wild flowers was the centerpiece and two glasses were filled with Piña Colada adorned with pineapple wedges.

He stood there overlooking at the ocean for a while, lost in thought.

Elizabeth walked out to the poolside carrying two serving dishes with food. She was wearing black jeans, pink top and her black leather jacket. Her hair was cascading down her back. She was ready for a bike ride.

She noticed him standing with his back to her.

Taking a moment to admire him from afar, she hadn't looked into his eyes yet and still she knew something was bothering him. His back was rigid and his head was tilting slightly to one side.

Before she could take another step or make her presence known, he spoke.

"You didn't have to do all this."

"I know, but I wanted to do it."

He turned around once she walked the remaining distance. She was placing the dishes on the table. When she straightened and turned around, he was only a couple of inches away.

"I wanted tonight to be special."

He didn't answer right away. Instead his eyes traveled from her three inch boots, along her slender legs and up her torso until they reached her dazzling blue eyes.

Her heart skipped a bit when he smiled at her.

"You look beautiful."

"I- I… Thank you."

A pink hue made its way up her neck and into her cheeks.

"I made _arroz con pollo_ and fried sweet plantains." She turned around, giving him her profile and pointed at a salad bowl. "That's avocado salad and this is Piña Colada. I remembered you liked it from that time we went to Old San Juan."

Elizabeth smiled nervously and bit her lower lip when he took her hand in his. "Sorry. I'm rambling. I was just…"

"Come here."

Jason walked her around the table and pulled the chair for her. When he sat down across from her, Elizabeth smiled.

"Right, you must be hungry. Félix told me you've left early on your bike. He thought that something might be wrong. I know you can't talk about it, it's just that I got worried, you know. Now that Francis is gone things will be kind of difficult, won't they?"

Jason gave her a worried look and Elizabeth bit her lip again. "Something wrong?"

"Have you ever timed yourself?"

Elizabeth frowned at his question. "I don't understand."

"When you get longwinded like that… Have you ever timed the longest you can go with a single breath?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer but then closed it and looked at him surprised at his question.

Jason smiled at her over the rim of the Piña Colada glass and Elizabeth's heart melted.

"You think you're funny, Morgan? Because let me tell you, that was just bad. You've done way better."

"The look on your face was worth it." He found her gaze with his. "You don't have to be nervous around me."

"I know." Elizabeth answered truthfully.

"Good. Now what do you say about a ride?"

Her eyes lit up with pure joy at the thought of a bike ride along the Seashore Highway.

"I would say, forget about the dinner. Let's go!"

Elizabeth dropped her fork and moved to stand up, but he stopped her. Jason didn't even try to cover up his chuckle at her excitement. He loved to see her light up with happiness.

"Hold on a minute. We'll go on a bike ride, after dinner."

With a disappointed pout, Elizabeth sat back on her chair. "Okay, but eat fast so we can be on our way soon."

The rest of the dinner went by without fuss.

Jason took his sweet time with the first course and made a huge display of drinking his Piña Colada. Elizabeth was so excited about the ride that she barely touched her food.

Forty five minutes later, they were standing over his bike. Elizabeth was almost jumping in anticipation.

Jason held her helmet out to her and her smile turn into a huge grin.

"Here."

"Thank you." She started to put on the helmet. "So where are we going?"

Jason straddled his motorcycle and looked over his shoulder towards Elizabeth. He reached her hand to help her get on the bike.

"Nowhere."

The single word made her heart skip a beat. She placed her hands around his waist and rested her head on his shoulders as he revved the bike and started out of the villa.

Jason didn't see the smile fade from Elizabeth's lips and her eyes blur with unshed tears.

Soon they were driving down the Seashore Highway, the palm trees blurring together, the smell of the ocean filling the air around them.

Sometime later, she felt the shift of the road as they headed up towards the mountains and the curves up the cliffs.

He knew that was her favorite part of the ride. But instead of feeling her laughter and excitement, Jason felt the rake of sobs going through her small body. The faint drops of tears wetting his black t-shirt. And he couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness and fear that welled up inside him.

When they reached the top, Jason pulled over close to where the old lighthouse was standing proudly over the cliff.

He turned off the engine and stood up from the bike, giving her time.

Giving, himself, time.

Because he knew nothing was going to be the same after tonight.

When he looked over to where Elizabeth was standing he noticed she was still holding on to her helmet and looking down at his bike.

"Elizabeth."

When she met his gaze her eyes were red and puffy from her tears.

Carefully she dropped the helmet on the seat, and walked towards Jason and straight to the edge of the cliff.

He followed her slowly and stood a few inches away from her.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Her voice was thick with emotion, but it wasn't spoken with contempt.

"This is the place where we first met... Almost four years ago."

Her voice became distant as if she where back to that night.

Lost… Hurt... Alone…

"Did Robin ever tell you what happened between us that night?"

"No."

"I was standing…"

She looked down and took two more steps closer to the edge. Jason followed closely, watching her carefully.

"Right here. I was standing right here. And I was thinking… I was thinking about all the hurt and emptiness inside of me. About how much I wanted, needed it to end. The hurt, and the anger, and the emptiness… I was trying to figure out what was the point of living when nobody really cared."

Elizabeth stood there, her hair dancing in the wind.

Jason couldn't see her face, but he knew she wasn't crying anymore.

"I was standing here and all I could see was the sky filled with stars and the moon shinning bright. I could hear the waves crashing in the stone wall of the cliff, deafening my thoughts. I remember thinking that if I had to go this was the perfect way to do it."

Jason didn't know what to say about her admission. He stepped closer to her protectively, but didn't touch her.

Elizabeth opened her arms and closed her eyes. She tilted her head back and felt the wind in her face. Slowly she leaned forward…

Jason lunged forward instinctively, holding her tightly to his body. His arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on the crock of her neck.

A small tear trailed down her face.

"I couldn't do it. And I felt like the most pitiful woman in the world."

Jason couldn't speak. His heart was pounding on his chest furiously. His hold on her was like a vice. He knew he was probably hurting her, but he didn't care.

"Robin saved me that night. She knew. She knew what I wanted to do and she talked to me. I… If it wasn't for her, I might have tried to do it again…" Her voice trailed off. Became smaller. "Or maybe not. I was such a coward once."

Elizabeth's head was thrown back, resting on Jason's shoulder.

Jason placed a soft kiss on her hair and liger for a moment smelling her sweet essence, before he finally broke his hold on her and moved his hands to rest on her hips softly.

"How was I to know that that night was going to give me the wind?" She slightly turned her head to the side with a small smile. "…And you."

"Elizabeth…"

Before he could say another word, she was out of his arms. A deep frown on her face, she turned and looked out to the open area of the cliff.

"This is also the place where _he_ tried to rape me."

Jason's eyes blurred with fury at the memory, his hands closing into fists. He still had nightmares about that night. Her ragged voice, her small body trembling, her dress ripped into pieces…

"_NO! DON'T! PLEASE!" _

"Even though he didn't actually rape me, I lost my innocence that day."

Her eyes were dark with memories, but when she turned to look at him her face softened.

"You saved me that night."

"I shouldn't have let you leave the Casino with him. I knew something was wrong, but…"

"It's not your fault. I made the choice to leave with him that night. I was the one who flirted and teased… But _he_ was the one who didn't get no for an answer. _He_ was the one who wanted to hurt me. And the Webber's were the ones who paid him to do it."

Elizabeth looked around once again, taking in a deep breath.

"I shouldn't have brought you here." Jason spoke softly.

"This is where it all started. It's only natural that it ends here."

Her words were spoken with emotion and conviction.

Jason's head turned to look at her in questioning.

"How did you…?"

Elizabeth interrupted him mid sentence. "We need to talk."

"Okay."

He followed her to the Lighthouse and they sat on a stone bench overlooking the horizon.

"I've been thinking a lot in the past few days. After everything that happened with the Webbers and Tony Morales…I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that just wouldn't go away."

He waited for her to continue.

"I've been feeling empty. And it doesn't matter what I do or where I go, I can't seem to shake this feeling of nothingness."

She waited for him to speak. When he didn't she continued.

"I used to have all this dreams…"

"You wanted to see the World and be an artist." He said softly.

"Yeah, well life tried to make me forget about those dreams. I feel like I just stopped fighting for them. But I just realized that that's not what I want. I don't want to keep giving up."

Jason's gaze was unwavering, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his blue eyes.

"In my Grams letter she asked me to live my life to the fullest and to see the world as we talked so many times about. And I realized that that's something I have to do."

She looked at the ocean below. "And then I started thinking about everyone that I've be leaving behind when I go. Grace and Manuel, Eva, Francis, Barbara, Marcos… But most important of all, you… I just don't seem to be strong enough…"

"Strong enough for what?"

"To leave. To pack up and go see the World. Live my life as I want to. Learn to stand on my own two feet instead of leaning on you and counting on you to make it better."

His hand moved to cover hers. "You have not been leaning on me. You are stronger than you think."

"But I feel so vulnerable. I feel like everything I've built after the attack, with you is just a castle made of sand and at any moment it will be ripped apart and I'm going to be left with nothing."

"I don't understand. What is it you are trying to say? You know you can tell me anything."

Elizabeth's gaze traveled up until it reached his ocean blue eyes.

"Even though I'm scared, I'm leaving tomorrow."

Jason's face was unreadable. He barely blinked at her statement. "Okay."

The sadness in her eyes was replaced by anger in a flash. "Okay? I tell you I'm leaving and all you have to say is okay?"

Jason stood from the bench and paced for a moment. Turning around to look at her, his voice was cold. "You already said you've been thinking a lot about this. You obviously made up your mind already. What do you want me to say?"

Exasperated she stood up and walked up to him. "I don't know. Maybe, '_Don't go Elizabeth. I want you to stay with me.'_ Something, anything."

"I can't make you stay if you want to leave."

"It's not that I want to leave, Jason. I have to leave. This is something I need to do. If I don't find this piece of me that's missing, I'll never be ready for something more."

She bit her bottom lip and turned her eyes down.

"I should have started from the beginning." She found his eyes again. "Jason, I'm in love with you."

"What?" His eyes were filled with hope and unshed tears.

"I know it's completely presumptuous of me to even dream that you would ever feel…"

"I'm in love with you too."

That completely threw her for a loop.

"I… You…"

"I don't know how or when it happened. It just did."

Elizabeth walked back to the bench and sat down again. Jason followed her.

"This kind of changes everything." She said in a whisper.

"No it doesn't, Elizabeth."

"What do you mean it doesn't?" She asked with a raced brow. "Here I've been turning myself inside out, trying to find a way to have my cake and eat it too and…"

Jason was confused. "What cake?"

"Jason, that's just an expression. It means that I've been trying to find a way to have it both ways. I have this need to be free, to see the World and at the same time I just can't make a clean break. Forget everything I said. I want to see where this can go."

"Elizabeth. I brought you here today to tell you that I love you."

"Why do I sense there's a 'but' around there somewhere?"

"But… I can't be the reason you lose your dreams."

She interrupts him. "Jason you are not…"

He brings his fingers to her lips. "Elizabeth. Please let me say this."

"Go ahead."

"This is not something I have been going over for a long time. My feelings for you are not something that happened over night. It's something that's been there since the first time we meet over four years ago. At first just attraction, but as I got to know you, spend time with you… It became different than anything I've ever felt before."

He had to stop to swallow over the knot that was tightening in his throat.

"I love your smile, the way your eyes light up whenever we go on a bike ride. But I also love your strength, your dreams and your spirit. Elizabeth I can't ask you change your dreams for a bulletproof apartment and the risk of becoming a target for my enemies."

"It doesn't have to be like that…"

"But it is. This time we've spent together. Puerto Rico, this is not my real world. New York, Miami, guards, treats, death….That is my life Elizabeth. Did you speak to Eva, before she left?"

She nodded slowly, a silent tear falling from her eyes.

"Didn't she tell you there was a war in Miami? Francis is taking her to a penthouse with surveillance, bulletproof windows and guards."

"She was willing to take that chance, because they love each other. And I'm willing to…"

"But I'm not. I won't trap you inside my world. Because sooner or later it's going to kill your spirit and one day you'll look at me and the sparkle in your eyes will be gone. I won't be able to live knowing that I'm responsible for that."

"So you love me and I love you, but we can't be together."

"I want you to go, Elizabeth, go and see the World. Find the freedom you've always dreamt about. Be happy, because that's the only thing I've ever really wanted for you."

"What if I don't want to be free without you?"

"You will always have me, Elizabeth. I promise that if you ever need me, I'll be there. And after you see the World, when you find that piece of you that you are missing and if you still feel the same… Then we can try to make this work."

Their blue eyes met, filled with tears that were now falling freely.

Raw emotion, sadness and love shining deep inside.

There were no more words needed between them.

Jason closed the distance and soon his lips were on hers.

Soft, sweet, their lips danced together in a promise of what the future held for them.

The bike came to a stop in front of the gates of the International Airport.

He looked up to see the airplane take off and his heart ached. The thought that he might never see her again crossed his mind and a dull ache became sharper in the pit of his stomach.

Jason sat on his bike watching the plane disappear in the distance, with the promise that he would look for her… Someday…

Elizabeth sat with her gaze lingering on the shape of the Island until it was nothing more than a blur of green in the middle of the blue ocean.

Remembering the day she came to Puerto Rico, four years ago, it felt like a whole lifetime had passed since that gloomy August afternoon.

Never in her life would she have thought that she was going to find friends, family, freedom.

And love…

She had seen Jason sitting on his bike as the airplane prepared for takeoff.

Her heart aching at the thought that she might never see him again.

A small smile appeared through her tears.

She would see him again… Someday…

**FIN.**

* * *

**_Or is it?_**

**_Please don't kill me just yet._**

**_First let me tell you guys that this has been a pretty awsome ride. I'm amazed at the feedback this story has gotten from the start and through the long wait in between chapters. _**

**_I started writing this story after I actually dreamed the goodbye squence between Jason and Elizabeth. _****_It was always intended for them to end up going in different directions. I feel like my version of Elizabeth needs to find herself before she can commit to a relationship with my version of Jason. She had lived through a lot during her stay in Puerto Rico, don't you think? But she hasn't really lived, if you know what I mean._**

**_One of the reasons for taking so long to post the finale, was that I started to doubt myself. What where you guys going to say when I gave you the above? I know that if I were to follow a story for 4 years I would be piss at not getting my couple together at the end. (Feel free to let me have it at the reply.) _**

**_I tried to re-write the last chapter. But the new version wasn't working. Elizabeth really wanted to go to Italy and she refused to stay. So I began to plan a sequel... Very short, not more than 4 or 5 chapters. But it's proving to be a btch to write and I'm not sure how soon I can have it out there. With that warning in place, you guys have the final say... _**

**_Would you like to read a sequel or would you rather I stay away from the keyboard and stop this madness? _**

**_Either way I will write more Liason Fanfic, so you guys will still be submitted to read my awful grammar (no beta) and long winded author's note. _**

**_I am very happy and proud to have ended my first multiple chapter story, even though it took so long. _**

**_And before I go I want to thank each and everyone of you guys who reviewed and gave me such amazing feedback. It means a lot to me that you enjoyed my work. Hope to hear what you guys think..._**

**_Hasta la vista, Chicas! _**

**_Love, Julie_**


End file.
